Howe could land Bruno 2.0 to complete Newcastle's midfield trio

Howe could land Bruno 2.0 to complete Newcastle’s midfield trio

Newcastle United’s heavy spending under the Saudi PIF could be set to continue in the summer, with the Magpies needing to dramatically improve their squad depth.

The club have looked depleted in multiple areas this campaign and undoubtedly will be looking to strengthen the defensive department after the long-term injuries suffered by Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles, with the two centre-backs ruled out for up to nine months after respective ACL surgeries.

The club have often been light in midfield with injuries to Lewis Miley and Joelinton in recent times, often seeing Eddie Howe stick with the same trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson and Sean Longstaff in the heart of the Magpies’ midfield.

Fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali has missed the majority of the season after his summer move, following his ban for betting in Italy. He’s also been found guilty of gambling on football during his time on Tyneside, with it unknown whether he will receive an additional charge on top of his current ban.

After his suspension and the recent injuries, the club are targeting another midfielder this summer, with one player in particular catching the eye.

Newcastle interested in Premier League midfielder

According to a report from ChronicleLive earlier this week, Newcastle have been scouting Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, after the 24-year-old was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Chelsea academy graduate has featured 30 times in the Premier League this season under Mauricio Pochettino, scoring three times and assisting six – in a campaign where he’s been utilised in a more advanced role.

Despite his good form in London, he could be set to depart the club as they aim to raise funds to stay within the Premier League’s strict FFP and PSR rules, as the club announced losses of over £90m for the previous financial year.

Gallagher has already been linked with a £40m move to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer window, with Howe’s side facing tough competition to sign the ace.

Conor Gallagher would be Newcastle’s Guimaraes 2.0

Although Chelsea have been disappointing in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign, midfielder Gallagher has been a shining light for Pochettino’s side throughout.

According to FBref, the 24-year-old shares a number of stylistic and statistical similarities to Guimaraes, but the current Blues midfielder has triumphed over the Brazilian in multiple key areas throughout the season.

The “phenomenal” midfielder, as dubbed by one Chelsea scout, has averaged 1.4 interceptions and 2.5 tackles per 90 – both stats are marginally higher than the Magpies’ current midfielder.

Guimaraes v Gallagher 23/24

Stats

Guimaraes

Gallagher

Pass accuracy

85%

89%

Interceptions

1

1.4

Progressive carries

1.6

1.7

Tackles

2.4

2.5

Touches in attacking areas

2

2.2

Stats via FBref

Gallagher also dominates in possession, with the Englishman currently averaging 1.7 progressive carries per 90 and an 89% pass completion rate.

There’s no denying that Guimaraes is a crucial cog in Howe’s side, but Gallagher has been very underrated in an underperforming side, with his ability in and out of possession potentially completing Newcastle’s midfield puzzle.

With Guimaraes at the base and Gallagher alongside him, the central trio would seemingly then be completed by the aforementioned Joelinton, with the Brazilian brute only recently signing a new long-term deal on Tyneside.

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Sven Botman is set to miss part of next season through injury.

As such, Howe and the Saudi PIF should be pulling out the stops to try and bring the Chelsea midfielder to St James’ Park this summer.