Newcastle United bid for three Premier League youngsters in ambitious move

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales and Joe Buck discuss Newcastle United’s interest in three Premier League young stars.

Transcript

00:00Now reports coming out in the last week from Newcastle United have suggested that the club have bid for three separate Premier League players.

00:08They are Jao Pedro of Brighton & Hove Albion, Anthony Ilanga of Nottingham Forest and Burnley's goalkeeper James Trafford.

00:16Both Pedro and Ilanga are around the £50 million mark, with James Trafford supposedly having a bid put in for him for around £25 million.

00:26Certainly Newcastle United this week are ramping up their search for recruitments ahead of the new Premier League season,

00:34with of course the club also going to be competing in next season's Champions League as well,

00:40requiring further reinforcements to bolster their squad depth, because of course last time Newcastle were in the Champions League,

00:46they suffered greatly with injuries, playing numerous fixtures throughout the season, which affected their league campaign greatly.

00:52So Newcastle certainly trying to make moves in the transfer market now with three Premier League players,

00:57but crucially all three are very young in age compared to say proven Premier League players as well.

01:03Of course all three have Premier League experience, but they are certainly not the finished product.

01:09So let's go now to Jo Buck of the Shields Gazette.

01:11Jo, if we look at perhaps all three of these players who Newcastle have bid for, why is it that they're going for young players?

01:17I like the idea of going for younger players. I think every, you know, every fan wants that team to, you know, sign younger players.

01:24And as you say, even if you spend £60 million on someone like Pedro Olanga, for example,

01:28there's a hope that maybe if they can have a couple of good years that you could at least, if you did want to sell them in the future,

01:33recoup that sort of money. You can't do that if you buy a ready-made, you know, 27, 28-year-old.

01:38That's just impossible. So there's that aspect of it.

01:40And also I think that someone like you take, say, James Trafford, for example, he's so young for a goalkeeper,

01:46especially that Newcastle might look at him and go, well, actually, he could be number one for 10 years or whatever.

01:52And then you don't have to think about signing a goalkeeper again because you've got him.

01:55Is it a surprise to see Newcastle go for Trafford specifically?

01:59I'm not sure it isn't because obviously they were so interested in last year and very close to moving for him.

02:04But right now, would you say goalkeeper is an area that definitely need to improve?

02:08I would say not. I would say maybe in a year's time, possibly, or definitely in a year's time.

02:13But right now, it seems one that we've seen it with Lewis Hall, for example.

02:17We saw it with a little bit with Alexander Ezek.

02:20The Newcastle are not afraid, if they see a player at the right price, to go for it,

02:23even if it doesn't fit in with their plans right now.

02:25And I think Trafford fits that.

02:28Yeah, as you said, deals to play out in the media tend not or sometimes don't go the way I think

02:35because obviously, as you say, the price ramps up or maybe they're smoke screens or something else.

02:39But I think with the Trafford one, there's clearly enough in there.

02:42He was so close to joining last year.

02:43Newcastle seem like the only team or club that want to sign him right now.

02:47I know there's been Chelsea and Manchester City links, but it seems a perfect destination for him.

02:51So I think Trafford will be the one to watch over the next couple of weeks.

02:55Pedro and Alanga, I can't see them signing both.

02:58And two similar prices, I think there's probably going to be one or the other for them too.

03:01I think Alanga probably fits the system perfectly, but it's a system that might need developed

03:05because, as you say, their main struggles are when a team sits back,

03:09when they're not able to have lots of room on transition.

03:13And obviously, Alanga, I haven't seen Alanga do that.

03:17He might be the player who can create in little bits.

03:19But for me, he does look like, as you say, a player who's very good on transition,

03:22if you win the ball back either high up or in your own half,

03:25that he's someone who can get you up the pitch.

03:28But yeah, a number 10 would be perfect for this system.

03:30How you get it into a 4-3-3, I don't know whether Eddie Hawass actually changed that

03:34because you look at any of the front six, the midfielders and attackers,

03:37I don't think you drop any of them, you know, and how you get that in.

03:40But definitely someone who will be able to just unlock that door

03:43when you've got a team sitting back is a must this summer.

03:46Whether it's Pedro or Alanga, or as he even mentioned,

03:48it could be someone else, either from abroad or somewhere else

03:51that hasn't been mentioned.

03:53But it'll be an interesting dilemma for them to solve,

03:56whether that's this summer's problem, whether they then try and think,

03:59right, if you can get through next season without that,

04:01then it's next year's problem.

04:03I don't know, but it's rubbish that we're having these conversations

04:06and that Newcastle are limited so much because of the money they're allowed to spend

04:11because they should be able to maybe not spend everything they want to do,

04:14but there's no reason that a team who've qualified twice for the Champions League

04:16in three seasons, won a cup, finished, you know, fifth and fourth,

04:19shouldn't be able to spend a vast amount of money,

04:22or money that at least six teams in the Premier League can.

04:24But, of course, here we are.

04:27Yeah, it's going to be a very interesting summer.

04:29And for me, the positions you have to strengthen are centre-back at right wing,

04:34maybe a versatile striker, but I think if you can get a right winger

04:37that can cover centre-striker, maybe that'll be one they do.

04:40And then, obviously, clearly, they do want a goalkeeper,

04:42and that'll be one that I think gets done.

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