Newcastle set to prioritize striker signing in January after injury to Callum Wilson

Wilson set to miss ‘months’ after fresh injury

Newcastle United cannot catch a break in what has been a frustrating 2021-22 Premier League campaign that is only set to become more intolerable on Tyneside after key striker Callum Wilson is laid up in drydock once again.

As reported by Chronicle Live, Magpies boss Eddie Howe could well have to dip into the club’s coffers with the intent of making an unanticipated striker signing in January after the immediate assessment regarding Wilson’s latest injury in the wake of the 1-1 draw against Manchester United at St. James’ Park.

It's a priority now #NUFC https://t.co/mEhpr95fwe

— The Chronicle (@ChronicleNUFC) December 29, 2021

The England international was removed in the fifth minute of stoppage time right before the break, with the assessment passed over on Wilson potentially being quite serious upon reflectin from Howe;

“Callum’s injury looks severe, weeks maybe months. I feared for him when he went down with nobody around him. A pull, not a knock.”

Wilson has already missed four fixtures this term due to a hamstring problem earlier in the season, and his track record of one injury after the next has plagued an otherwise promising career for a forward who has proven adept at finding the back of the net.

Newcastle to switch gears and prioritize business for a striker

Already linked with interest in LOSC Lille’s Sven Botman and Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti, Newcastle is likely to switch gears and focus on the recruitment of a center-forward after the latest injury setback for Callum Wilson.

Rumored to be linked to Luton Town’s Elijah Adebayo and Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa, two other potential avenues that currently reside in London could present themselves.

Arsenal pair Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah still have no clearly-defined pathway at the club come January.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 06: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal looks dejected after the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on December 6, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Aubameyang looks to be very much on the outs at the Emirates after being stripped of the captaincy while failing to feature in any of the club’s fixtures during their four-match unbeaten run, while Nketiah is out of contract in the summer.

The wages associated with Aubameyang would be an automatic concern as would the ability of Newcastle to potentially convince him to join a relegation battle when other opportunities could present themselves abroad.

Arsenal’s English striker Eddie Nketiah (R) with the match-ball celebrates with Arsenal’s English midfielder Charlie Patino (L) on the pitch after the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Arsenal and Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 21, 2021. – Arsenal won the game 5-1. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Regarding Nketiah, though he is currently set to walk away from Arsenal for nothing, boss Mikel Arteta seems adamant in his desire to extend the Hale End Academy product and keep him in north London, though with Newcastle only boasting the likes of Dwight Gale and Joelinton as their only other recognized strikers, Nketiah could travel north to secure the first-team minutes he craves.

A loan for Nketiah in January could at least secure Newcastle a center-forward for the rest of the season even if the England youth international chooses to look elsewhere come the summer, but should he – like former club-mate Joe Willock – settle well on Tyneside, a free move to Newcastle is hardly out of the realm of possibility.

from Football (soccer) greatest goals and highlights | 101 Great Goals - Feed https://ift.tt/3pDcQax
via IFTTT