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A summer of change and uncertainty is in store for Newcastle United. How much will they be able to spend? How many of their star players will depart St James’ Park?
Anthony Gordon has already headed out of the exit door, joining Barcelona in a remarkable move that no one really saw coming.
Sure, Gordon had interest but to see the Catalan giants secure his services raised a few eyebrows.
The winger is not the only player who could leave. Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are attracting interest across the Premier League while Lewis Hall has appeared on Manchester United’s radar amid claims he is unhappy with how the season ended for him in the north east.
Replacements will be required for anybody who leaves and the priority right now is to secure someone with similar attributes to the aforementioned Gordon.
Newcastle in talks to sign Premier League striker
A year on from spending big money on both Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, it almost defies belief that the Toon are having to re-enter the market in a bid to replace Alexander Isak again.
Last summer was a total soap opera at Newcastle. Isak didn’t train with the first team and is arguably still paying the price for a lack of pre-season after heading to Liverpool.
Regardless of what happened with Isak, Eddie Howe and Co did not get their recruitment right. Woltemade has been preferred as more of a number 10 while Wissa barely kicked a ball due to injury.
It explains links to players like Dusan Vlahovic and Darwin Nunez this summer but their wages could be astronomical. Deals for those two do feel unlikely.
Better than Vlahovic: Newcastle in talks for “one of the best CFs in the world”
Newcastle United have set their sights high with their transfer targets this summer.
A more likely move could be made for Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus. Indeed, according to Sports Boom, Newcastle have joined Everton in the race to sign the five time Premier League winner.
The Magpies have already opened talks to understand the player’s availability and desires for this summer. It is believed that Howe has identified the Brazilian forward as someone who can take his team to the next level.
Jesus signed for Arsenal for a fee of £45m but is now reportedly worth around just £20m after a series of injuries.
How Jesus compares to Gordon and Osula
If you asked Newcastle supporters a year ago who their number 9 would be at the end of the 2025/26 season it is unlikely they would have said William Osula’s name.
Alas, he has usurpsed both Woltemade and Wissa in the race to become the club’s leading centre-forward. Despite initial doubts, he’s looked like the real deal.
The Dane ended the campaign with five goals in his last eight games. He also finished the season with the best conversion rate of any player in the Premier League.
|
Best conversion rates – Premier League 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Conversion rate |
|
1) Will Osula |
30.4% |
|
2) Noah Okafor |
22.9% |
|
3) Danny Welbeck |
22.6% |
|
4) Nick Woltemade |
22.6% |
|
5) That is, Junior Croup |
22.0% |
|
6) Viktor Gyokeres |
21.2% |
A tall striker with a really interesting profile, he’s capable of playing on the shoulder of the defensive line and getting in behind. In comparison to Gordon, he is more of an out and out striker.
The now Barcelona man is a winger by trade but played up top on 16 occasions this season, scoring nine goals in the process. Like Osula, he plays on the final shoulder but his work rate is second to none. He’s a bustling presence and a real nuisance for centre-backs.
In that regard, Jesus is similar. He may not boast the same physical attributes as Osula but he’s technically excellent and knows where the back of the net is.
It’s a while ago now but back in 2017/18, he had the fifth best conversion rate in the division with 24.1%. In 2020/21, only ten strikers had a better conversion rate. We may be dining off past experiences here but as Gabriel Martinelli put it when Jesus arrived at the Emirates, he is “one of the best strikers in the world.”
That was a few years ago now the statement is arguably still true. A ruptured ACL is never going to help anyone. Before missing most of 2025 with that problem, he was arguably in the form of his life, scoring six goals in six games over the festive period. Like Osula, he is something of a streaky player.
You scored
out of 20
Now aged 29, some will say Jesus is past his best. That is probably true as well but he was still scoring goals for a title winning side as recently as last month.
He was exceptional on the final weekend against Crystal Palace and on another day would have had a hat-trick, striking the post, seeing a one-on-one saved by Dean Henderson before finally scoring a clever finish at the near post.
Like Osula, he’s a tricky customer. He’s got the ability to burst beyond the final man as he did for that goal at Selhurst Park and like Gordon, he is an incredibly hard worker.
Jesus has always pressed from the front in an exceptional manner for Arsenal. He won the ball back 4.06 times per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.That was actually even better than Gordon who won it back 2.83 times.
It’s hard to quantify hard work based on data alone. The eye test suggests that Jesus is always willing to work hard and lead the press, much like Gordon did so well when he was still at St James’.
Do not expect Jesus to arrive and become the main man instantly but he is still one of the best forwards in the league. You don’t win a handful of Premier League trophies by being a bad player.
The next Tonali: Newcastle hold talks to sign “one of the best CMs in Europe”
Newcastle United are considering a move for a top European talent this summer.
