Newcastle United signings are once again at the forefront of our thoughts.
This 2023/24 season is racing to its end and when Eddie Howe’s next kick-off on Wednesday against Crystal Palace, there will be only three and a half weeks to go in the Premier League.
Very quickly we will then find ourselves in the midst of endless transfer speculation and who are going to be the next incoming Newcastle United signings, to further improve and progress this current squad.
Before we get to that though, I want you consider another group of players, those who will be ‘like’ new Newcastle United signings.
Now this type of thing got a bad press back in the day, as in the absence of any real new signings, Mike Ashley would get his latest stooge / puppet to claim that such and such would be ‘like a new signing’ when returning from injury.
Ironically, we do have plenty of those as well, though genuine cases of those who are currently injured but will hopefully be back to full fitness for the start of the 2024/25 season, the likes of Pope, Joelinton, Willock, Trippier, Miley, Targett and Almiron, as well as Botman and Lascelles at some point during next season.
However, I want you to concentrate instead here on six others who will be ‘like’ new signings for next season.
All six of these players are young and exciting in varying ways and strengths, with their best years ahead of them AND none of them have started 10 Premier League matches so far for Newcastle United…
Tino Livramento
What an exciting player he looks, plenty of Newcastle fans and neutrals seeing him as nailed on to be an England star of the future.
Eddie Howe has taken his time with him after a serious injury saw Tino miss pretty much a full year of football, the competition to get in this NUFC side, plus inevitably(!) some injury issues.
He will still be only 21 when next season kicks off and with only nine Premier League starts so far for NUFC, he will feel still very much like a ‘new’ signing.
Lewis Hall
Only 18 when signing on loan and will still be only 19 when the 2024/25 season kicks off.
Eddie Howe has understandably been even more careful with his development, recent games though have shown just what a quality player he is, including giving NUFC a left foot option on set-pieces.
I have a feeling he will get plenty of football next season as a permanent signing.
Elliot Anderson
Such cruel luck this season.
He was top scorer (four goals) in pre-season and arguably the most impressive in friendlies overall.
If he hadn’t picked up a serious back injury himself, then I think this would have been a massive breakthrough season for Anderson with him at last getting a proper run.
He is also very much a player who is going to be scoring and creating goals as well.
He’ll be still only 21 when next season kicks off and with only six PL starts for Newcastle this season so far and nine in total in his career, he is going to be one of the best young players in the Premier League next season I fancy.
Yankuba Minteh
Such an exciting winger with pace and goals and assists.
An excellent choice of Feyenoord as his loan club has seen him get plenty of football, plus importantly, goals and assists.
Playing Champions League football this season, he will also likely pick up a cup winners medal this weekend in the Dutch Cup.
He will turn 20 in July and I look forward to seeing him added to this NUFC first team squad, plus, like Hall he will be classed as under 21 and not take up one of the 25 senior Premier League squad spots.
Enough said.
Can put his gambling ban behind him and repay Eddie Howe and the fans. Only five PL starts for NUFC so far but end of August 2024 I think we will see a massive asset in play for Newcastle United, last summer’s big signing.
Harvey Barnes
Talking of last summer’s big signings…
Terrible luck to pick up a serious freak toe injury.
A brilliant player who scores and creates, still only 26 when next season kicks off, we have seen his class in the five PL starts and sub appearances so far. He is a class act and will be a fan favourite going forward for sure.
