With the 25/26 campaign being the biggest yet in Eddie Howe’s tenure, the last thing the manager needed was a mini injury crisis at the start of the campaign.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly the hand that has been dealt to Howe, with Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento perhaps the most important names placed on the injury list since the start of the season.
Both our form and style of play have suffered as a result, and it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if we sought fresh depth at fullback in the January transfer window, which brings us to the latest transfer link…
Celta Vigo star on Newcastle’s radar?
According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are showing interest in Celta Vigo right-back and former Barcelona talent Oscar Mingueza.
The 26-year-old has just entered the final year of his contract with the La Liga club, and Spanish outlet AS claim that Newcastle, Aston Villa and West Ham are all keen on the defender.
It’s not just our Premier League rivals who are interested in him, as Marseille and the Italian trio of Como, Atalanta and AC Milan all have a reported interest in signing the fullback.
With Mingueza looking unlikely to renew or extend his current deal, he’s set to be a free agent next summer. Celta Vigo had previously turned down multiple offers this past summer due to a 50% sell-on clause Barcelona embedded in his contract.
Trippier replacement needed
At 35-years-old and earning in excess of £100,000 per week, it’s likely we’re nearing the end of Kieran Trippier’s time on Tyneside, with Monaco and Saudi clubs thought to be keen on the veteran.
So there’s certainly a special appeal in signing Mingueza to serve as a backup to Livramento, particularly with rumours linking Emil Krafth with a move to Copenhagen as he too nears the end of his contract.
But we saw this past summer with the Alexander Isak, players may be hesitant to join us knowing that there’s world-class players ahead of them in the fierce competition for places under Howe.
So before we begin to cast our net around Europe for another fullback option, whether that be in January or over the summer, we first need to get clarification on Trippier’s future at the club to allow us to best negotiate with the likes of Mingueza over how he slots into the team under Howe.