Newcastle United can now compete in the transfer market with the big boys.
Despite Arsenal’s interest, the club was able to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon after fending off interest from AC Milan.
It stands to reason that the better Eddie Howe’s team performs on the field, the more likely it is that this will happen again.
Having the necessary funds is one thing, but if the club can offer potential recruits European football and a desire to win trophies, there is little reason to believe that the club will stop at Newcastle.
With that in mind, a transfer battle with Chelsea does not seem as intimidating as it once did.
Newcastle is keeping an eye on Brahim Diaz.
According to The Sunday Sun (p 64, 19/03/2023), the Magpies are keeping a close eye on Real Madrid attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz.
The Spanish international began his career with Manchester City and was dubbed “incredible” by Pep Guardiola before moving to Real Madrid in 2019. After struggling for regular playing time in the Spanish capital, the 23-year-old moved on loan to AC Milan, where he has remained ever since.
Diaz is having a strong season as a member of the Rossoneri, who won Serie A last year. The attacking midfielder has five goals in 31 appearances across all competitions this season, but Madrid may make him available this summer.
Both the Blues and Newcastle are said to have been made aware of this and are now considering making a move to sign Diaz.
Newcastle does not have many goals from midfield.
Howe does not have a goal-scoring midfielder, though Guimaraes could fill that role if he gets his wish to play further forward.
Except for Guimaraes, no one in the midfield has scored more than two goals this season, and that lack of firepower has cost the team dearly. Only Brentford have drawn more times than Newcastle (11) this season, and Howe’s team is also eighth in the Premier League in terms of goals (39), so introducing more threat in areas other than the forwards makes sense.
Diaz, 23, has won the Italian, Spanish, and Premier Leagues, as well as 11 appearances in the Champions League. That is some pedigree, and the prospect of Howe developing that kind of talent is extremely exciting.
With plenty of room to grow in the future, it’s easy to see why Newcastle would be interested in Diaz, especially given Newcastle’s lack of options in that area.
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