Newcastle United have got some fault lines running through their squad, but Eddie Howe has crafted something special and recent results have showcased that fact wonderfully, with Chelsea and Arsenal both defeated of late across two competitions.
Now, the climb. Newcastle’s hard-fought victory over the Gunners in the Premier League last weekend came down to willpower and sharp tactical understanding, perfect assimilation and implementation of Howe’s philosophy.
But the Magpies are still 11th in the standings, having failed to win any of their previous five top-flight contests before that one. There is much work to be done if Newcastle – backed by the Saudi PIF – are to cement their place at the front of the pack over the coming years.
Plans are being drawn up regarding where to improve, with one addition being looked at who could be perfect for Alexander Isak.
Alexander Isak is finding his feet
Isak is scoring once again, coming up trumps and leaving the Toon faithful cavorting after crucial goals against two of London’s finest outfits. He was always going to find his feet, and now Howe’s side can kick on and make headway in the Premier League.
Newcastle signed Real Sociedad’s talented striker in a deal worth £63m, a club record, in 2022, but he suffered an injury-hit debut year that provided him with only 17 starts in the top flight, albeit posting a respectable ten-goal haul.
Last term, however, Isak came alive. Featuring 40 times across all competitions, he scored 25 goals and put in performances that led pundit Harry Redknapp to declare last year: “I’m not sure if there’s a better player in the country right now.”
There was some noise around the 25-year-old’s future at St. James’ Park across the summer months, but he is still plying his trade under Howe’s wing and there are tentative hopes that he will pen a new contract.
Goals in recent matches have spoken once more of the player’s irreplaceable quality in black and white, with his slow start to the campaign swiftly shaped into something bearing a respectable return of four goals and an assist across ten matches in all competitions.
Moreover, he’s hardly just a target man. As per FBref, Isak ranks among the top 18% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90. Such metrics emphasise his dynamic and athletic style of play.
Signing a player like Jarrod Bowen really would complete Newcastle’s frontline, not only balancing the left flank, where Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes reside, with a player of high-class quality but finally completing the fluency that could see Isak reach monstrous new heights.
Bowen can be that signing.
Newcastle transfer news
As per TEAMtalk, Newcastle remain hot on the trail of the West Ham United captain, having been keeping tabs on the 27-year-old for a while.
The report suggests that the Magpies could make a blockbuster move and are ‘considering a bid’ for the former Hull City man.
West Ham are toiling under Julen Lopetegui and Bowen has not yet hit his stride, though the winger is proven in the Premier League and was the focal point of David Moyes’ illustrious tenure in east London.
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Getting this one over the line won’t be easy. West Ham value Bowen at £100m – as per previous reports from the summer – and given that he signed a long-term contract last year, it is likely that it will take a ‘huge bid’ from PIF and co for the Hammers to even entertain a sale.
That would ensure it would likely prove a record move for those at St James’, surpassing the £63m that was spent on that man Isak back in 2022.
Bowen really would be the perfect signing for Newcastle in 2025, not least because he might blend with the club’s number nine, and restore Newcastle’s attack to its maximum level.
Imagine Jarrod Bowen & Isak
Miguel Almiron has played for Newcastle for a long time, and Jacob Murphy is certainly an underrated option within Howe’s squad, but neither carries that potent threat that the Hammers skipper would bring to the table.
Bowen’s West Ham career is a thing to behold. The east Londoners signed Hull City’s prized forward in January 2020 for a fee totalling £22m, and he has since gone on to score 64 goals and supply 41 assists across 214 appearances, instrumental in winning the Conference League and thriving across multiple continental campaigns.
Last year, despite Moyes’ system malfunctioning,
1.
Jarrod Bowen
44
20
2.
Mohammed Kudus
45
14
3.
Tomas Soucek
52
10
4.
Lucas Paqueta
53
8
5.
Michail Antonio
32
7
6.
James Ward-Prowse
51
7
His dual-wielded positional value has even seen him be gushed over by opponents, with Brentford manager Thomas Frank describing the England star as “unplayable” after he thumped a hat-trick past the Bees in the Premier League last year.
Could it be that Bowen would bring to Newcastle the kind of goalscoring quality that would unburden Isak with the weight of his responsibility? The Sweden international is a brilliant player, but Gordon aside, there is a distinct lack of prolificness.
Barnes is a terrific goalscorer, but he too is best on the left flank. Bowen, a right winger, would obviously earn regular match action for Howe’s side and has the requisite experience in Europe to actually make all the difference across the coming years.
Who knows, he might even convince Isak to stay on, for a frontline consisting of Gordon, Isak and he would surely hold the properties required to have a significant impact on the narrative at the top of the table and across cup competitions, year in, year out.
With a sharp playmaking edge too, creating 16 big chances in the Premier League since the start of last season, Bowen really could be the perfect partner for a machine-like centre-forward in Isak.
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