Newcastle have been told to sign four of the Premier League’s biggest names outside of the ‘big six’ clubs to become the most attractive team behind Manchester City and Liverpool in England’s top-flight.
Since the Saudi-led takeover of the club from Mike Ashley in October 2021, the Magpies have grown from strength to strength.
In 2022, only Premier League and Champions League title hopefuls Liverpool (38) have picked up more points than Eddie Howe’s side (32), with Newcastle being the only side in the division to win each of their last four games in the Premier League.
A big part of their success since the turn of the year has been down to the recruitment made by the club in the January window. Acquisitions Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon), Dan Burn ( Brighton and Hove Albion), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Matt Targett (Aston Villa) and Chris Wood ( Burnley ) have all played key roles since their arrivals.
In order to take Newcastle to the next level, having climbed up to ninth in the league table following Saturday’s 3-0 win over Norwich City, talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham believes that the Magpies are just four signings away from becoming the most desirable club in England to join, only behind title-chasing duo City and Liverpool.
Durham claims that Brentford striker Ivan Toney, Southampton midfielder and captain James Ward-Prowse, Everton forward Richarlison and Everton’s former Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford are exactly what Newcastle need to bring in to see them challenge for Champions League football next season.
“I could see Ivan Toney going back to Newcastle, I could definitely see that,” Durham said on talkSPORT.
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“James Ward-Prowse, I could see Richarlison going there as well because whatever you say about him being on the floor all the time he is actually a good player and a Brazil regular. Jordan Pickford, I know he is Sunderland but I can see him going to Newcastle.
“All of a sudden this becomes the club you are going to go to if you are not nailed on to go to Man City or Liverpool, Newcastle is the one.”
Ex-Magpies and current Brentford hotshot Toney, who spent three years at Newcastle between 2015 and 2018, is currently the joint-top scorer of English players in the Premier League this season, netting 12 times from his 29 league outings for the Bees.
Saints captain Ward-Prowse has scored nine goals and provided four assists from his 32 league appearances this season. Of those goals, four have come from direct free-kicks, taking him up to 14 in his Premier League career and second on the all-time list behind David Beckham (18).
While the Toffees have had a poor season, striker Richarlison has been their top scorer with seven league goals, having also provided the joint-highest number of assists with four from his 25 league appearances. Goalkeeper and teammate Pickford (97) ranks fifth of goalkeepers for most saves made this season across the Premier League.
Should Newcastle maintain or better their current ninth-place position in the Premier League table when the season ends, it would be their best top-flight season since the 2011/12 campaign, where they finished fifth. That is despite winning none of their opening 14 league games of the season and being in the relegation zone until mid-January.
