Are Newcastle United relegation favorites without new strikers?
By Durim Halimi
Newcastle United are in dire need of some quality strikers. If the Magpies flop during this summer window, are they relegation favorites?
It is no secret that Newcastle United are in the transfer market for some quality strikers to upgrade their front-line. The anticipated sales of Mikel Merino to Real Socieadad and Aleksandar Mitrovic to Fulham will surely aid this endeavor, but would the Magpies be relegation favorites without a new striking duo?
In short, the answer is maybe. Newcastle did manage to earn a top ten finish last campaign, but the truth must be told in saying that it was a poor Premier League campaign for several clubs.
The relegation battle during the 2017-18 campaign comprised more clubs than it should have and that is why Newcastle secured tenth place with 44 points. As a result of Dwight Gayle and Joselu only combining to score ten goals, the Magpies had a difficult time finding the back of the net.
As a team, the Magpies only managed to score 39 goals in 38 matches, which translates to 1.02 goals per match. If Newcastle wish to avoid another relegation battle, they must find strikers who can double or triple the combined number of goals from Gayle and Joselu.
Top Ten to Relegation Battle?
At present, I do not believe that Newcastle will be relegation favorites, but they will be participants in another relegation battle. The Magpies’ defensive unit is transforming into one of the best in England and the midfield is showing signs of great potential. For those two reasons, I do not see Newcastle going down.
However, without a complete re-structuring of the attacking core, Newcastle will not be as competitive as its supporters would like it to be. A top ten finish would also likely be out of the question next season as some mid-table clubs are spending big money in the transfer market.
The good news for Newcastle supporters is that the club is being linked to several strikers from multiple European leagues. The bad news is that Newcastle is simply linked to these players in rumors and no concrete bids are being made.
It remains to be seen who else will follow the signings of Martin Dubravka and Ki Sung-yueng, but Rafa Benitez is desperate to add new strikers to the club. If the Magpies want to fight for a spot in the top six, they will need to add two new strikers this summer.