Newcastle United know they have to box smart in the summer transfer window as they look to take the next step in rebuilding their squad. There are plenty of caveats to consider between now and the end of the campaign, with the Magpies' league finish set to have the final say on potential recruitment this summer.
Eddie Howe has already given a hint that the Dubai break was about more than just a warm weather training camp. The Toon boss admitted he'd been very busy as he gave players some time off, with recruitment one of those factors keeping him occupied.
One name the Toon have been repeatedly linked with since the summer, is Belgian playmaker Youri Tielemans. The midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and set to leave the Foxes on a free transfer.
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Arsenal were linked with a move for the 25-year-old last summer, but no bid would arrive and Granit Xhaka has since transformed his Gunners' tenure. Tielemans is apparently keen on a return to Champions League football, where he's the fifth-youngest player in Champions League history.
However, having been part of the Leicester side that were comfortably beaten by Newcastle at St. James' Park and the King Power, has the ship sailed for the Belgian and would he be the right fit for the Magpies?
"Well, he’s not been as good as in the 2020-21 campaign, when he was Leicester’s player of the season, but he is still a very influential player at the club," Jordan Blackwell, Leicester City reporter for Leicester Live, told the Chronicle. "He has often been criticised by Leicester fans over the past couple of years for not giving his all, given he has let his contract run down, but most of the time it has just been the case that he’s been tired.
"He’s barely had a game off for Leicester or for Belgium. His current injury is his first major one since arriving at Leicester and they have missed him, particularly in his ball progression.
"Before his injury, he was one of only three players to rank in the Premier League’s top 20 for progressive passes and passes into the area, with the other two both right-backs (Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold). He’s also scored some spectacular goals this season, and come close to a few others.
"The only thing that lets him down is his agility. If a game is moving fast, he sometimes struggles to keep up. He wouldn’t fit in Liverpool’s system, for example."
If Newcastle do finish in the Champions League or European places, the Belgian would still be an improvement in terms of squad depth, but question marks remain over his ability to do it at the top of the Premier League.
"It’s really difficult to say," Blackwell said when asked about Tielemans moving to a competing in Europe. "Leicester would have sold him last season but they did not receive one single formal enquiry for him, and so there was nothing for them to react to.
"Arsenal have long been linked but maybe thought he was only worth it on a free transfer. Since then, Granit Xhaka has enjoyed a new lease of life.
"That’s what he wants, a Champions League club. He’s the fifth-youngest player in Champions League history, making his debut at 16, and spent the first few years of his career playing in the competition, so it makes sense that he would want to get back into it.
"I think he enjoys life in England, so would prefer to stay on these shores if possible. You would think, as one of the best free agents around, he would be subject to plenty of offers."
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