Newcastle United are in pursuit of extra bodies in attack as the transfer window approaches a crucial stage. With the Premier League opener on Saturday, Eddie Howe wants another addition at the top end of the pitch to ensure he has enough firepower for the gruelling campaign ahead.
As such, Newcastle have tried their luck with two offers for Leicester City's James Maddison in recent days. The Foxes are yet to give in and will demand close to £60m for their star attacking midfielder to depart.
United's midfield is already a tad bloated at present and Howe has been reluctant to play with an out-and-out Number 10 in recent months. As such, a move for Maddison feels quite unusual at this stage of the transfer window when fans are hoping for another striker or winger to be brought in.
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Maddison has played down the channels at points in his Leicester career but has openly admitted he isn't fond of being pushed out wide and away from his natural position behind the striker. “Even when the manager asks me to play off the left, he gives me licence to drift between the lines," Maddison admitted in 2019.
“He’s not the kind of manager who says: ‘Right, you’re on the left, you have to go and stick to the touchline.’ That’s not the type of player I am, so it wouldn’t play to my strengths [to be stuck out wide]. We have a very attacking left full back in Ben Chilwell who, if I come inside and leave that space out wide, will eat it up. And if I am playing centrally in a four, I can’t just have a ‘free role’."
Lucas Paqueta is no different. The Brazilian is versatile and can occupy three or four positions with ease. At times for Brazil, the Lyon man is used as a right winger or even a 'False 9'.
But Paqueta has also admitted that his favoured position is in the middle where he can dictate play from deep. "Milan and Brazil have similar tactics. In Milan, I play as a left-central midfielder, which is the position I like," he said recently.
"Serie A is different. It’s a more tactical League. Here (for Brazil), Tite gives me the freedom to go one step further towards the opposing box, to be freer. Playing as a left-central midfielder is the position I prefer."
As mentioned, Newcastle have an abundance of midfield talent in their ranks. Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock, Jonjo Shelvey, Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson will all battle it out to be part of Howe's trio in the middle of the park.
It begs the question whether previous interest in Paqueta, and current interest in Maddison, is a sign that Newcastle are struggling to get their ideal top targets up front and on the flanks.
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