Newcastle United need to add more creativity and better finishing in midfield next season if they wish to avoid the stressful narrative surrounding them this term. Keeping in mind that the season has been played behind closed doors, the transfer budget will be tight to the pocket.
The club is expected to navigate the loan market, but one area in which Mike Ashley must invest in is midfield. There is no need to spend several millions (£) to upgrade in this critical area, and teams like West Ham and Aston Villa are perfect examples of this.
Newcastle United need more goals from midfield, more attacks to be orchestrated from players higher up the pitch, and they need a player who needs no time to adapt to the pace and aggression of English football.
Now that the Magpies play in a diamond shape in the middle of the park, one attacking midfielder from the Championship who can have an immediate impact comes to mind: Nick Powell. The Stoke City star has many attributes that Newcastle United need in order to upgrade the quality of their squad.
The Stoke City ace would be a stellar signing for Newcastle United this summer.
Powell is primarily deployed as an attacking midfielder, and at times as a striker, and he would certainly provide a spark for the Toon in the final third. The player once signed by Manchester United for £6m when he was 18-years-old has gone on to have an impressive career in the Championship.
Powell found the back of the net 14 times in 53 Championship appearances for Wigan Athletic, and over the last two seasons he has scored 15 goals (10 this term) for Stoke City. In addition to his eye for goal, Powell is averaging just over four assists per season in the Championship as well.
The 26-year-old midfielder is a high-energy player who gets involved in as many actions as possible, and this is reflected in the fact that he already has 55 shot attempts to his name this season. Powell is doing all he can to get Stoke City – currently 10th – near the top six, but their promotion is unlikely.
The Potters landed Powell as a free transfer, and his current market value is just under £3m. Whenever a Premier League team comes knocking on the door of a Championship club, the asking price tends to go up, but there is no way Newcastle United would not be able to afford Powell.
At 26, Powell is in his prime and eager to perform at the highest level. Newcastle United should strongly consider making a move for the talented, motivated midfielder this summer before other clubs start expressing interesting. For now, Powell is still flying under the radar.