Newcastle United DealSheet: Carlos Baleba and Christopher Nkunku discussed, experienced players wanted

Newcastle United have five days until the start of their season and still have lots of gaps to fill in their squad. Here, The Athletic explains the latest situation in terms of both outgoings and incomings at St James’ Park.

The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Sources with knowledge of transfer dealings, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, have been spoken to before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment.

A version of this report and the status of the rest of the Premier League’s leading clubs’ transfer progress can be found in this week’s DealSheet.

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What has happened this week?

Amar Dedic has arrived on Tyneside to become Newcastle’s sixth signing of the summer after a deal worth around £30million ($40.7m) was agreed with Benfica over the weekend.

The 23-year-old right-back underwent his medical on Monday and may even be in line to start against Liverpool in the Premier League opener, given Newcastle’s lack of depth at full-back. Lewis Hall will be on the left on Sunday, but Tino Livramento is still returning to full fitness following an operation on his calf in June, meaning Leo Shahar, 19, and Mason Miley, 17, deputised throughout pre-season.

Dedic has only played 10 matches in any of Europe’s top five leagues, which came during a loan spell at Marseille last year, while he was given a torrid time by Anthony Gordon in the Champions League at St James’ Park last season and was removed after an hour.

But Dedic has Champions League experience and worked under Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle’s new head coach, at Liefering and Red Bull Salzburg. The hope is that the Bosnia and Herzegovina international will already be accustomed to Jaissle’s demands and can therefore quickly acclimatise to the German’s methods, even if Dedic is yet to play in the Premier League.

His ability to operate down both flanks was also attractive to Newcastle, who have only three senior out-and-out full-backs (including Dedic), and it is far from certain that they will acquire another wide defender.

Elsewhere, Newcastle have so far been frustrated in their attempts to add much-needed experience to Jaissle’s side following the sale of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal. Attempts to sign Marseille’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha have proven fruitless, with neither appearing likely to advance.

The news that Joelinton has been sidelined for at least a fortnight with a muscle injury has further compounded that issue.

Jaissle’s Newcastle also suffered successive friendly defeats and then a reversal on penalties — losing 3-1 against Everton at Murrayfield last Wednesday, succumbing 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen at St James’ Park on Saturday, and then being beaten 3-2 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw with Strasbourg on Tyneside on Sunday — which highlighted the evident deficiencies within his squad.

The intense friendly schedule Jaissle inherited has not helped as he tries to instil his ideas into the squad within three weeks. “The club knows exactly the needs,” Jaissle said about further incomings at his post-match press conference on Saturday. “There will be some changes.”

How important is adding experience now?

Absolutely imperative. Ideally, Newcastle hope to bring in a midfielder this week, but as a minimum, one or two experienced players must arrive before the deadline in a fortnight.

While Newcastle planned for the loss of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, Guimaraes’ departure was not in their blueprint and those three moving on have left a void of players in their prime years. Newcastle’s squad is now largely made up of players in their late teens and early twenties with huge potential, many of whom have been signed this summer, and veterans in their thirties. There are few out-and-out starters left in the happy medium in between.

Dan Burn has been named as Guimaraes’ successor as skipper and Joelinton will be vice-captain, yet figures who take responsibility in the engine room in the manner Guimaraes did are required. Jaissle desires an on-field lieutenant in midfield who can provide a calm head and help guide and nurture the younger players around him. Joelinton is experienced but hot-headed, and it is unclear where he will play in Jaissle’s 4-2-3-1 system, so a deep-lying midfielder is preferred.

With Hjobjerg seemingly having turned Newcastle down and Palhinha appearing likely to move elsewhere, Ross Wilson, the club’s sporting director, is exploring alternative midfield options. Given the dearth of available (and attainable) players in their late twenties or early thirties with Premier League experience at this stage of the window, Newcastle may end up recruiting someone in their mid-twenties instead.

Such know-how is essential because, as talented as Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba appear to be, neither should be expected to play consistently in the Premier League this season. Preferably, any recruit would also offer creativity from deep, given Newcastle need to try to compensate for the loss of creativity and goal-scoring threat that Guimaraes provided in midfield.

What positions/players are they looking at?

It is possible that two midfielders may be signed, though bringing in an experienced engine-room operator is the priority in the short term.

Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba is admired and has been mentioned internally. While he would be an exciting addition in many ways, given Manchester United’s interest last year, the Cameroonian is only 22 and may not provide the immediate leadership Jaissle is seeking.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall has also featured during discussions, but Newcastle baulked at the asking price and a move for the 20-year-old seems unlikely. Jaissle is likely to have his own prospective midfield names, too, who were not actively being floated before he was appointed.

Bringing in an additional attacker is something Newcastle are considering, too, now that Jaissle has assessed his squad, while Jacob Murphy may yet depart.

Eddie Howe did not play with a No 10 and so there are few natural second-striker figures within the player pool. Milan’s Christopher Nkunku, 28, who can play across the front line, has been mentioned, though Villarreal’s Georges Mikautadze has not been discussed to date.

Acquiring another full-back appears unlikely at this stage, although ideally Newcastle require greater depth in that position.

Which players could be leaving?

Newcastle are adamant that Lewis Hall will not be moving on, despite interest from Manchester United. The 21-year-old is an automatic starter for Newcastle and Jaissle wants to keep Hall, who the German views as ideally stylistically suited to the football he wants to play.

Nick Pope has been omitted from every matchday squad under Jaissle and the head coach has hinted that the 34-year-old can leave, given Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen are set to be first- and second-choice goalkeepers.

Joe Willock, meanwhile, is likely to leave, with the 26-year-old in the final 11 months of his deal. Besiktas are among the clubs interested, and Newcastle anticipate sourcing a buyer, despite Willock performing promisingly during pre-season.

Newcastle may listen to offers for Murphy, the 31-year-old winger whose deal also expires next June, although he provided the assist for Will Osula’s goal against Strasbourg on Sunday.