Anthony Gordon’s move to Barcelona was wrapped up at the end of last month, and Newcastle United fans have already shifted their focus to the next problem. In a transfer poll, a new centre-forward came out top, even though the squad now also needs a new winger.
The vote was clear. Forty-six per cent wanted a striker first, while 24 per cent chose a winger to replace Gordon. Newcastle United are expected to be busy in the summer transfer window, and the split shows supporters want more than one fix from the same market.
Will Osula and Newcastle United
Will Osula ended the season as first choice striker and scored six goals in nine appearances. That is the number sitting behind the argument for a centre-forward, because it leaves Newcastle United relying on a player who finished strongly but has not yet been asked to carry the line over a full campaign.
Last summer, Newcastle spent £124million on new forwards to sign Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart and Yoane Wissa from Brentford. Woltemade ended the season in midfield, while Wissa managed just three goals in an injury-ravaged campaign, so the forward line has already been reshaped once and still looks unsettled.
Ross Wilson and summer plans
The wider rebuild is not limited to the front line. Newcastle United released six senior players at the end of their contracts, Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth left and opened up a spot for a new full-back, and the club is said to be looking for a midfielder if Sandro Tonali is sold.
They are also said to be looking for an experienced goalkeeper, even after announcing the arrival of 20-year-old Ewen Jaouen for an £18.5million fee earlier this month. His club-level experience has been exclusively in the second tier of French football, which leaves the goalkeeper spot with a different kind of pressure from the one up front.
Gordon exit and the next call
The poll numbers make the order of business plain: 46 per cent of fans want a striker, 24 per cent want a winger, 12 per cent backed a new right-back, 11 per cent chose a more experienced goalkeeper, five per cent picked a number six, and two per cent wanted a left-back to challenge Lewis Hall. Newcastle United fans want the centre-forward move first, but Gordon’s exit means the club still has to solve the wing spot too.
That leaves Newcastle United with a longer shopping list than a single replacement for Gordon. The new season will ask whether the club can turn a broad wish list into actual signings, or whether Will Osula starts the campaign carrying far more than a short run of form can safely promise.
