Newcastle United is a potential club which could intrigue the midfield duo of Youri Tielemans and Ruben Neves ahead of the summer transfer window.
What’s the latest on Newcastle’s summer targets?
Over the course of the January transfer window, there was a belief that Eddie Howe was looking to bring in a new midfielder which did not come to fruition.
Instead, the Magpies saw Jonjo Shelvey leave the club in a deal which took him to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.
Looking ahead to the summer transfer window, it is believed Newcastle will look to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
And speaking to Football FanCast, insider Dean Jones has mooted it could be a possible landing spot which would interest Tielemans and Neves:
“And I think for both players, it would be a really good environment for them to step into and will probably intrigue them,” Jones said.
Could Neves or Tielemans replace Guimaraes?
Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival on Tyneside has proven nothing short of a masterstroke from the Magpies with the Brazilian proving to be a seriously impressive signing.
This season alone has seen the 25-year-old provide the Toon with a return of three goals and three assists in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).
However, this success has seen some reports suggest he has attracted attention from the likes of Real Madrid with his new deal on Tyneside yet to be finalised.
Who would be a better signing for Newcastle?
Ruben Neves
Youri Tielemans
Neves, who could be available for around £53 million, is now playing into the final 18 months of his deal with Wolverhampton Wanderers meaning this summer could provide him with an opportunity to move on.
And Tielemans will have his choice of clubs with the Belgian’s deal with Leicester City set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
And in comparison to the Brazilian in the middle of Newcastle’s side, the Premier League duo have both offered their respective clubs more passes per 90 minutes (via Fbref).
However, only Tielemans (3.28) has been able to return a higher shot-creating action figure than Guimaraes (2.96) but Neves has – as well as the Belgian – provided slightly more tackles per 90 minutes.
Newcastle fans will be hoping they are set to see Guimaraes play at St. James’ Park for years to come with a new contract believed to be in the works.
And with this in mind, the stats returned by both Premier League players would suggest they could offer Newcastle with a serious midfield partner to play along with Guimaraes.
