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Steve Bruce still wants these two signings but needs to move out players first – Report

4 years ago
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It is now getting on for two weeks since Steve Bruce brought in that trio of players just ahead of the season.

Mike Ashley finally accepting that some money had to be spent in this transfer window, if a certain relegation battle had any hopes of being avoided.

The long-term injury to Dwight Gayle seemingly the final tipping point for £20m to be spent on Callum Wilson, whilst similarly, Paul Dummett yet again having injury problems meaning Newcastle had no left-back for the start of the season, so finally a credible looking ambitious deal done for a new left-back, with £13.5m paid initially for Jamal Lewis.

Since the arrival of that pair and Ryan Fraser on a free, it has gone very quiet.

However, with only 17 days until the transfer deadline to go, it has now been revealed that Steve Bruce is very keen to still bring in another two signings.

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, who is close to Steve Bruce, says that the NUFC Head Coach is still trying to bring in a player for each of two positions.

Edwards says that another striker and a centre-back are the two places where Steve Bruce is very keen to still strengthen.

Whilst Newcastle won on Tuesday night, it perfectly illustrated why Bruce sees the need for these extra signings.

With Wilson rested, Joelinton was playing through the middle and put in one of his worst ever performances, which obviously takes some doing considering what we have seen in the past year in many of the games where he played centre-forward.

Then at the back, the defence ended up with three right-backs, as Manquillo was forced to play on the left and Krafth in the middle alongside the returning from injury Clark. Yedlin on the right side of the defence.

However, for Steve Bruce to ‘realistically’ have a chance of bringing in the two signings he still wants, the man from The Telegraph says Bruce needs to move on other players first.

Lejeune and Muto have gone out on loan which helps to bring down the wage bill to an extent, even if not bringing in transfer fees.

Luke Edwards lists Henri Saivet, Rolando Aarons, Christian Atsu and DeAndre Yedlin as players who need to move out, and to that list we can add Achraf Lazaar for certain.

It has previously been reported that Newcastle have tried to pay-off Aarons and Lazaar to get them off the wage bill now but both refused the terms offered, to give up their full final season of NUFC wages. Along with Saivet, paying them off is the only way Newcastle could hope to move them on, with no chance of any transfer fees coming in.

However, both Atsu and Yedlin are also in the final year of their contracts and whilst not up to playing first choice in the Premier League, it is feasible they could command transfer fees from probably clubs in other leagues, if Newcastle are sensible about what they are asking for and the players as well when it comes to wage demands at a new club.

I have a feeling though that very likely Fabian Schar is the key to another central defender coming in.

Steve Bruce made clear last season that he didn’t really rate him, Schar made 14 Premier League starts in the first half of the season but after new year’s day only four more. A couple of times in midfield when Steve Bruce had no other options there, then another couple at centre-back, when once again the Head Coach had no alternatives.

Schar is also in the final year of his Newcastle deal, turns 29 in December, but could still at this point command a good transfer fee. He has been working his way back to full fitness after the shoulder operation and maybe once he is fit, we will then see him sold on. The savings on wages on top of a transfer fee, then making space and paying for another centre-back to come in, almost certainly on loan. Steve Bruce appears to rate Ciaran Clark, so along with Lascelles and Fernandez, that would give Newcastle four centre-back options.

I think Jacob Murphy would certainly be sold if an acceptable offer came in. He is also in the final year of his deal and going out on loan yet again with a club paying part of his wages, wouldn’t be a massive help in helping to finance extra players coming in.

As Luke Edwards points out, the final stages of the transfer window are when many loan deals are done, as clubs accept they aren’t going to be able to sell at the prices they want, or have simply been waiting to see which players are surplus to their needs.

Whatever happens, Newcastle do definitely need another goalscorer and central defender before the window closes.

Both would almost certainly be loans but to head further into the season without them would be inviting trouble for sure. If anything happened to Callum Wilson, who would get the goals? Whilst another centre-back also looks a definite need, especially with the increasing injuries we have seen with the current options since Steve Bruce arrived.

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