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The three Newcastle United positions Steve Bruce has prioritised for signings this summer – Report

4 years ago
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An interesting new report on Sunday morning has named the three positions Steve Bruce hs prioritised for new first team signings in the next transfer window.

The Chronicle say that their information is that the ‘bulk of work has already been done’ in terms of identifying the targets who are needed to strengthen the weakest areas of the current team/squad.

The three positions that are said to be targeted are striker, midfielder and winger.

Basically, everything but the defence…

The report says that Steve Bruce is ‘hoping’ head of recruitment Steve Nickson and his team can help deliver these key signings.

Well whatever the recruitment process next time Newcastle go shopping, here’s hoping it goes better than this past year.

Mike Ashley forcing through the £40m/£43m signing of Joelinton and the PR stunt signing of permacrock Andy Carroll. A disaster when supposedly trying to replace NUFC’s only two goalscorers, who Ashley made no attempt to keep.

Allan Saint-Maximin has obvious potential to deliver more substance/end product next season but the only other permanent signing these past two windows was Emil Krafth, Mike Ashley yet again wasting money by trying to do things on the cheap. Newcastle ending up with three right-backs/right wing-backs and none of them (including Yedlin) good enough, the best of the trio Manquillo set to be out of contract and leave for nothing this summer.

Any summer shopping list has to include full-backs/wing-backs on both sides of the pitch, though of course the biggest priority due to Ashley’s disastrous running of the club, means at the moment Newcastle don’t have a single Premier League level goalscorer.

As for how much, if any, say Steve Bruce will have on signing any players remains to be seen, as so far he has had zero say on any of the permanent arrivals so far, all of them prepared before Bruce arrived at the club in July 2019.

As Rafa Benitez was forced out by Mike Ashley because he insisted on having the final say on transfers, in order to avoid disasters such as Joelinton, and Ashley once again returning to the lower leagues to find a patsy desperate enough to take the job regardless of how little power he would have, Steve Bruce will surely just be handed players, rather than having any real say.

The Chronicle report:

‘This is Newcastle United’s summer plan as scouting team adapt to help recruitment drive

Steve Bruce will still get the chance to spend this summer and put his own stamp on Magpies team

Steve Nickson and his scouts have had to scrap trips to Germany, Spain, Holland and Italy in recent weeks, not only because of the postponement of games but also to network with agents and managers.

But the club’s recruitment team have been working remotely and using software to carry out further checks on players behind closed doors.

It is believed that the bulk of work has already been done going into the summer window with Bruce hoping that Nickson and his team can help deliver the central midfielder, winger and striker he is hoping for.’

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