Newcastle want "athletic" player with more assists than Bruno this season

Newcastle want “athletic” player with more assists than Bruno this season

As Newcastle United prepare for life without sporting director Dan Ashworth, who has been placed on gardening leave amid links to Manchester United, the Magpies have already turned their attention to summer reinforcements. And that could include a solution to their left-back problem.

Newcastle transfer news

Whilst many have been quick to sing the praises of Ashworth, it must be said that Newcastle didn’t enjoy the most successful summer transfer window last year, with Sandro Tonali the best example of that failure. The Magpies signed the Italian from AC Milan for a reported £55m, before watching on as the midfielder was hit with a 10-month ban. Though he has now been allowed to return to training, Tonali is still unable to return to competitive action for Eddie Howe’s side anytime soon.

Their transfer failure has come at a cost on the pitch, with Howe’s side struggling to balance a congested fixture list crashing out of the Champions League and falling behind in the race for European football in the Premier League as a result. As the next summer transfer window approaches, however, they will have the chance to make up for lost time, starting with a Championship star.

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According to Alex Crook’s transfer notebook on talkSPORT, Newcastle want to sign Leif Davis from Ipswich Town this summer. The left-back, alongside his teammates, has enjoyed an excellent campaign back in the Championship to leave Kieran McKenna’s side battling to go up for the second consecutive season.

The Magpies aren’t alone in their interest, however, with West Ham United also reportedly keeping tabs on Davis ahead of the summer window, as they look to replace Aaron Cresswell. As the two Premier League sides prepare to battle it out off the pitch, Howe will hope to see his side win the race and secure an upgrade on Dan Burn at left-back.

“Athletic” Davis is better than Burn

The extent of what Newcastle need to become a consistent top four side in the Premier League has been exposed for all to see this season, with changes still needed in Howe’s side. Among those who may be sacrificed is Burn down the left-hand side. The tall full-back has struggled at times this season and could quickly become second choice if someone of Davis’ calibre came in. Here’s how Davis’ stats and Burn’s have compared so far this season.

Domestic League stats 23/24

Leif Davis

Dan Burn

Progressive Carries

73

10

Progressive Passes

111

56

Assists

12

2

Tackles Won

40

21

Ball Recoveries

149

82

What’s more, Davis’ assists total in all competitions, which stands at 14, is more than Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes have managed. The Newcastle duo currently have 11 and six assists to their name, which shows just what an incredible season the youngster is having.

Ipswich manager McKenna was well aware of the 24-year-old’s quality when he first arrived at the club in the summer of 2022, telling the official website: “We’re really happy to have Leif with us. This is one the Club has worked hard on this summer. He is a player that fits the bill of what we want. He is young, hungry, athletic and technically very good.

“Leif has played games in pre-season and we are hoping he will be ready to make an impact early on. He’ll get plenty of support from the staff and fanbase, and I know everyone will be excited to see him play.”