Ninth in the Premier League and on course to miss out on a place in the Champions League, Newcastle United have a matter of months to salvage their season. And to do so, they've turned their attention to attacking reinforcements in the transfer window.
Newcastle's FFP situation explained
It's no real surprise that Newcastle's attention is on improving Eddie Howe's attacking options. After all, the Magpies entered the current campaign with just two recognised strikers available in the form of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak. Given Wilson's injury history and Isak having his fair share of knocks, those at St James' Park were always going to face problems – problems they could not solve without spending money.
The transfer window could put an end to that, however, with the latest Paulo Dybala transfer rumours indicating that Newcastle have made an approach to sign the AS Roma forward, who has a release fee of just £11m for sides outside of Italy up until June 15. A relatively cheap deal like that may be the only option available to Howe this month, with the Magpies reporting losses of £73m for the 2022-23 season.
CEO Darren Eales explained they cannot spend with the traditional 'big boys' until they match their revenue, potentially leading to player sales. "Any decision we make will always be against the backdrop of the medium to long-term benefit for the club. It's difficult to say specifically on certain players, but I can say that, if we're going to get to where we want to get to, at times it is necessary to trade your players."
Newcastle decide on Solanke transfer plan
According to Football Transfers, Newcastle will wait until the summer to pursue Dominic Solanke, when they will have more freedom surrounding Financial Fair Play, having reportedly made a first approach for Solanke this month.
The Bournemouth forward is definitely a target within the club's recruitment ranks and Howe has admitted himself that he would "love" to sign the Englishman and rates him "very highly", but the club will unleash their plans to make a move at the end of the campaign, with a deal simply not feasible within FFP in the winter window. It must be said though that the former Liverpool man is a player in-demand, with reports also linking Arsenal with a move for Solanke.
Erling Haaland
14
Mohamed Salah
14
Dominic Solanke
12
Son Heung-Min
12
Jarrod Bowen
11
The numbers paint the picture of a player at the top of his game and one who has earned deserved praise from Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who said, via talkSPORT: “I think he’s really complete. He helps us without the ball, on the ball he can go, he’s good technically too. He can play well with his feet, he uses his body well, and if they leave him space at the back he can also exploit it. He had his chances, he scored, he hit the post, I think he was really dangerous and he helped his teammates a lot, so I’m really happy for him.”
When the summer transfer window arrives, the rumours surrounding Solanke's future will likely only intensify. Enjoying his best season to date, the Chelsea academy graduate looks set to have the world at his feet in the next few months.