da bet7： In November, The Chronicle reported that Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez had decided that signing a new winger, striker and full-back were the top priorities for the January transfer window.
da dobrowin： The Spanish coach clearly believes that these additions are necessary to ensure that the Magpies achieve Premier League survival. However, he cannot expect a great deal of backing in the market from the club’s owner, Mike Ashley.
The Sports Direct mogul is publicly attempting to sell the club, as reported by the BBC. Given that under his ownership, which began in 2007, Newcastle have recorded a net transfer spend of just £32 million, it is near impossible to even imagine that Ashley will invest his own money into new players at this time.
Therefore, Benitez must look for alternative methods of bringing his grand plan for top flight survival to fruition.
Shifting the deadwood
The only realistic way of raising transfer funds at St James’ Park is by selling off the players who the club can cope without. In this sense, it is fortunate that the Magpies have their fair share of deadwood to shift.
Rob Elliot, Javier Manquillo and Isaac Hayden are all members of the first team squad that Benitez should look to move on from the club this January.
Goalkeeper Elliot is currently third in line to the starting spot, with first choice Martin Dubravka and back up Karl Darlow ahead of him in the pecking order. With 21-year-old Freddie Woodman ready to step up into Elliot’s place in the squad, the 32-year-old ought to be let go. With a Transfermarkt valuation of just £1.35 million, Elliot would likely attract some suitors at Championship level.
Although the Tyneside club are in the market for a full-back, that doesn’t mean they should cling on to a right-back as far short of the required standard as Manquillo is. The Spaniard is a defensive liability and his £4.5 million Transfermarkt valuation should be cashed in on as soon as possible.
Despite having shone for the club in the second tier, midfielder Hayden has failed to make the step up to top flight standard. The former Arsenal man should return to the Championship, with Newcastle hopefully raking in a figure close to his £6.3 million Transfermarkt valuation.
With the money accrued from these departures, Benitez ought to be able to bring in at least one player able to contribute more quality to the first team than any of the above trio.
Looking to the next generation
Before taking to the market at all though, Benitez must first explore the option of sourcing internal solutions to his squad’s woes.
Newcastle’s famed academy currently harbours some exciting talents who are ready to be tested at senior level.
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21-year-old midfielder Sean Longstaff has previously impressed during loan stints with Scottish Premiership outfit Kilmarnock and League One side Blackpool. With the first team currently lacking quality depth in the middle of the park, Longstaff could provide Benitez with an eager and hungry young option to turn to as back up.
As the acquisition of a striker is high up on the manager’s agenda, Danish teenager Elias Sorensen ought to be given the chance to take up this vacancy. The 19-year-old has been prolific for Newcastle’s under-23s side so far this season, registering 15 goals in 16 appearances.
Benitez clearly believes in Sorensen’s ability, as the club recently handed the academy starlet a new contract. Now is the time to back up that faith by giving first team chances to the prolific youngster.
If one of Newcastle’s promising youth prospects is able to successfully negotiate the step up to senior level then they could reinforce Benitez’s squad without a penny being spent.
Engaging the loan market
Without the funds to agree permanent deals, the loan market can come to Benitez’s aid this January. The Premier League offers plenty of opportunities to pick up talented but underused or inexperienced stars on temporary switches.
Forgotten Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson could probably be landed on such a deal, and would offer greater competition for DeAndre Yedlin’s place at right-back than Manquillo can muster.
The 26-year-old, once-capped England man may not be a long-term solution but he could certainly bolster the Magpie’s defensive contingent until the end of the campaign in a cost-effective manner.
A more exciting capture would be that of Chelsea outcast Victor Moses. Despite having been a key part of the Blues’ title-winning team under Antonio Conte, the Nigerian winger has found no place in Maurizio Sarri’s current setup at Stamford Bridge. However, the 28-year-old would likely be a regular starter at St James’ Park and would provide the injection of pace, flair, creativity and dynamism that is currently desperately lacking on the flanks for Newcastle.
Gambling on a tactical shift
Finally, Benitez can offset some of the issues in his current squad by switching to a tactical system that doesn’t expose his side’s deficiencies to such a great extent.
By switching to a three-at-the-back formation, with wing-backs deployed further up the field in lieu of a combination of full-backs and wingers, Benitez can offset some of his team’s frailties.
The Magpies boast an impressive collection of centre-backs, including club-captain Jamaal Lascelles and summer signings Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar. By playing all three, rather than the more conventional two, Benitez can make greater use of this contingent of players.
What’s more, wing-backs are burdened with less defensive responsibilities than traditional full-backs, which ought to suit Yedlin on the right flank. Similarly, the likes of Matt Ritchie, Jacob Murphy and Kenedy should be able to drop back from their natural attacking positions into this role with a minimum of fuss. With this tactical change, Benitez can go from lacking both effective wingers and full-backs, to having a plethora of potential wing-backs to pick from.
Altogether then, with all the above strategies taken into account, Benitez may still be able to action his Premier League survival plan without the transfer funds he might otherwise wish were being made available by Ashley.