Last week, Newcastle United reached a critical juncture in their meteoric rise under Eddie Howe’s management, with senior sources – as revealed by The Athletic – claiming that it was the most hectic and fear-riddled working week of their lives as concerns regarding a points deduction swelled.
Last season’s Premier League and Champions League campaign was detrimentally disrupted by staggering injury problems, further compounded by the ten-month ban issued to recently-signed midfielder Sandro Tonali last October. Newcastle, consequently, will not play in European competition after finishing seventh in the league last year, losing their Conference League spot after Manchester United won the FA Cup.
It’s been a summer of peaks and troughs ever since. Lewis Hall’s loan move has been finalised on a permanent contract, while free agent Lloyd Kelly has joined the fold. Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson have been sold for a combined recoup of £65m, mitigating PSR concerns without parting with a starring member of the squad, as has been the fear.
Where will Newcastle strengthen next? Improvements are needed across the field. And while it might not feel like the most pressing concern after Kelly’s arrival, central defence still needs work, with Sven Botman’s ACL injury possibly keeping him out until the new year and Paul Dummett having left after his contract expired.
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