Like every Premier League club, Newcastle United discovered their fate for the new season last Tuesday, with the announcement of the fixtures ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Eddie Howe and his side will be hoping for a better campaign than the most recent, which ended with heartbreak following the final domestic game.
Manchester United’s FA Cup final victory had a major knock-on effect for the Magpies. The Red Devils’ win over Manchester City sealed their qualification for the Europa League in 2024/25, knocking Chelsea down to the Europa Conference League, and Newcastle out of Europe competitions altogether. Thus, finishing in seventh, a place that usually comes with continental qualification, was in vain.
Newcastle begin the season hosting newly promoted Southampton at St James’ Park, before making one of the Premier League’s longest away trips, to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth. To round off August, the Toon will host Tottenham Hotspur in what will be an exciting crunch clash.
In their quest to return to European competition next season, Newcastle will no doubt dip into the transfer market to add to their squad, They have recently been linked with one player who could bring depth and quality to their midfield.
Newcastle target midfielder
The player in question here is Southampton‘s Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz. The 21-year-old was a key player for Southampton during the first half of last season as they quested for promotion, before making a loan move to Italian giants Juventus for the second half of the campaign.
According to a report from Mirko Di Natale, an Italian journalist, Newcastle are one of the clubs who are interested in signing the Argentine ahead of the new season. Di Natale claims that the Magpies and Ange Postecioglou’s Spurs side have “asked Southampton for information” on the young midfielder.
This interest comes after Juve’s apparent reluctance to complete a deal permanently to sign the young midfielder. The Old Lady did have an optional buy clause in the loan deal, worth £40m, but they do not seem likely to keep the 21-year-old in Turin beyond the expiration of his loan deal.
This has opened the door for a move by both Newcastle and Spurs. The price they would have to pay is unclear at this time, but it could well be along the same lines as Juve’s buy clause. However, according to Football Observatory, the value of the youngster is considerably less, at just £16.9m.
Why Alcaraz would be a good signing
Alcaraz was a very important player for Southampton last season before he made the loan switch to Turin. Saints manager Russell Martin used him 23 times, with the Argentine chipping in with three goals and an assist.
At Juve, he played just ten times after suffering from a slight hamstring issue, and registered one assist along the way. Scout Antonio Mango described him as "special" in 2023, and it is clear to see why.
One of the most valuable things about Alcaraz is his versatility. Last season, across all competitions with the Saints and Juve, the 21-year-old featured in six different positions, in games in which he played 45 minutes or more. However, Kulig described the midfielder as an “advanced playmaker”, suggesting this is his best role.
Central midfield
9
3
Centre forward
6
1
Attacking midfielder
4
1
Right winger
2
1
Right midfielder
1
1
Defensive midfielder
1
0
Should the Magpies get this deal over the line, Alcaraz could form an excellent midfield partnership with Newcastle’s talismanic midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
The 26-year-old Brazilian has been linked with a move away from the club constantly this summer, but his release clause of £100m has now expired, as per Fabrizio Romano, increasing his chances of staying at St James’ Park.
The pair complement each other fairly well, with Alcaraz being a wonderful ball carrier, who can operate higher up, and Guimaraes in a slightly deeper role, looking to thread through balls and progress the play, which the stats demonstrate. In all, they would form a good pairing in midfield.
As per Fbref, Alcaraz averages 2.06 progressive carries per 90 minutes, and 2.48 carries into the final third per 90. Whilst Guimaraes is still a great ball carrier, averaging 1.79 progressive carries, his progressive passing stats are slightly better than Alcaraz's numbers.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least ten yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
The Brazilian averages 7.80 progressive passes per 90, which is a fair amount more than the Argentine, who plays an average of 6.36 progressive passes. Creatively, the 26-year-old also excels, although not by much, averaging 1.71 key passes per 90 compared to 1.15 from Alcaraz.
The issue with this pairing would perhaps come defensively. Neither are natural sitting midfielders, with both preferring to operate as number eights, or higher in Alcaraz’s case. Instead, they might be better off with a defensive midfielder behind them, who can do the dirty work as the duo look to get forward.
However, they are still good off the ball, with Alcaraz averaging 2.79 tackles and interceptions and 4.67 ball recoveries per 90, and Guimaraes averaging slightly more, with 3.39 tackles and interceptions and 6.53 ball recoveries.
Should Howe’s side bring in a natural number six, it could help this midfield partnership flourish, giving them less defensive responsibility. Whilst Alcaraz and Guimaraes are not bad defenders, they will play their best football further forward and with less to worry about from a defensive point of view.
Signing Alcaraz would be an astute piece of business from Newcastle. They would be bringing in a versatile player who is a wonderful ball carrier and can work well with Guimaraes in midfield. For a fee of around £40m, it would be an excellent way to strengthen their squad as they look to secure a return to European football and target silverware in the 2024/25 season.
Newcastle can take Guimaraes to the next level by signing £34m "monster"
The Magpies are fighting Chelsea and Tottenham for this fast-rising talent.
ByAngus Sinclair Jun 25, 2024