Newcastle United are looking at bringing in Jack Harrison from Leeds United, according to reports in the Daily Mail.
The Lowdown- An English core on Tyneside
The Tyneside club are looking to heavily invest in new acquisitions this summer and could be drawn towards targeting more top tier English talent to join Eddie Howe’s side.
This was certainly the case in the January transfer window, in which they brought in three new homegrown players in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, and Matt Targett.
And now, as they look for more options in attack, a new name has been linked with a move to St. James’ Park, as Leeds’ final day hero Harrison is reportedly in their sights.
The Latest- Tottenham also interested
Writing for the Daily Mail, Simon Jones reports that the Magpies will contest with Tottenham Hotspur for the 25-year-old’s signature, as he notes a lot of changes on the cards at Elland Road, with stars Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips also attracting attention from some of Europe’s top sides.
This is due to the imminent signing to Leeds of American midfielder Brenden Aaronson from RB Salzburg, which may push some of their players towards the exit door, thus creating speculation about the futures of some of their in-demand stars.
There hasn’t yet been a transfer fee attached to the potential move, but it is likely to be over the former New York City man’s £13.5m Transfermarkt valuation, as the Yorkshire side would be looking to make a profit on the £11m they spent on acquiring the winger from Manchester City last summer.
The Verdict- Better options elsewhere
Harrison is undoubtedly a talented player and has received praise throughout this season, with Everton manager Frank Lampard calling him “one of the best wingers in the league” (Sky Sports News, 5:25pm, February 12 2022).
However, with Newcastle having a reported £100m transfer budget in the summer, they should perhaps be looking at more premium targets that are going to take them to the next level and competing for trophies next season.
For example, Mundo Deportivo reported in March the North East club’s interest in FC Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, who would be the type of marquee signing that would show them as a serious threat to be competitive in the new season.
And while the Frenchman would be considerably more expensive than the Englishman, who has been described by his manager as “explosive“, his key stats are considerably better, with 12 more assists to his name this campaign, and a much higher average match rating with 7.46 compared to Harrison’s 6.67, according to Whoscored.
Now that Newcastle have cash to splash, realistically they should be looking at a higher standard of player, particularly in attack.
In other news, the Toon are also looking at bringing in a new centre forward…