Newcastle United had a curious summer transfer window in 2024.
They made five signings, although two of those were free transfers, namely experienced goalkeeper John Ruddy and defender Lloyd Kelly. On top of that, the signing of Lewis Hall was an obligatory agreement with Chelsea, following clauses met in his loan contract from the 2023/24 campaign.
The two other signings made by the Magpies were Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos and exciting young centre-forward William Osula, whom they acquired from Sheffield United.
Whilst the Magpies did not exactly spend big, compared to previous windows since the Saudi takeover, they have been linked with a big addition in the summer of 2025.
Newcastle target Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Crystal Palace and England international attacker Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old, who is a crucial player for the Eagles, and made England’s squad for Euro 2024, was linked with a move away from Selhurst Park in 2024, but that did not materialise.
However, according to Football Insider over the weekend, Newcastle are among the clubs interested in prising the Palace star away from London.
Newcastle will not be alone in their quest to sign Eze next summer. The North East outfit are likely to go up against two longstanding Premier League rivals for Eze’s signature with the report noting that Tottenham and Liverpool want him too.
The England international had a £68m release clause in his contract in his contract over the summer which is inactive at the moment but can be activated again in the summer of 2025. That would see Eze become the Magpies’ all-time record signing, beating that of Alexander Isak in 2022, who cost £63m.
Why Eze would be a good signing
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has been superb for the Eagles during his time at the club. He has so far played 133 times for the South London outfit, scoring 29 times and grabbing 18 assists.
The former QPR man was particularly excellent last season, scoring 11 goals and posting four assists in 27 Premier League games. This term, he has one goal in the first seven games, as well as two in the Carabao Cup to go along with an assist.
He was described as a “superstar” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, who explained that he thinks Eze thrives with less responsibility. He would certainly not be shackled by such an issue in a team that includes the likes of Isak and Anthony Gordon, to name two of the Magpies’ attacking options.
One player who the Eagles’ number 10 could replace in the Newcastle squad is Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan was in talks to leave St James’ Park last season according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, but ended up remaining at the club. He since has just 30 minutes in the Premier League under his belt this term.
There is no doubt that the signing of Eze would be an upgrade on Almiron, and that is something that is backed up by the stats, courtesy of Squawka. Last term in the Premier League, the England international outperformed the Newcastle number 24 in several key metrics.
Last term, he averaged 2.4 chances created per 90 minutes, compared to just 1.1 from the Paraguay attacker. Not only that, Eze played slightly more forward passes than Almiron, with 8.3 each game, as opposed to 8.1 from the Newcastle man.
Eze vs. Almiron PL 2023/24 stats compared |
||
---|---|---|
Stat (per 90) |
Eze |
Almiron |
Take-ons completed |
3.1 |
1.1 |
Take-on completion rate |
51.88% |
51.11% |
Through balls |
0.4 |
0.3 |
Forward passes |
8.3 |
8.1 |
Chances created |
2.4 |
1.1 |
Stats from Squawka |
Eze is a spellbinding dribbler, who is a master in tight spaces. He is superb at using his quick feet to evade pressure and ride tackles. Last term, he completed 3.1 take-ons per game, with the Newcastle winger far less, just 1.1 each match.
There is little doubt that the Crystal Palace superstar would be an upgrade on Almiron. Whilst £68m is a steep fee, he would improve the side and the Saudi PIF did not exactly spend heavily at St James’ Park in 2024.
There is certainly scope for such a signing, and Eze would be a brilliant way to upgrade the side as Howe looks to guide Newcastle back to Europe.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)