Newcastle United can get revenge on Man Utd this January with bold hijack for £47m midfielder
Manchester United and Newcastle United are both expected to be in the market for talent this January as the race for European qualification heats up
Newcastle United face Manchester United in the Premier League for the first time since Benjamin Sesko’s blockbuster £73.7m to Old Trafford from German heavyweights RB Leipzig.
Sesko was one of a number of names Newcastle were heavily linked with over the summer after Alexander Isak’s well-documented decision to force a move away from St James’ Park. The Magpies made it clear that they were fans of Sesko, and many supporters waxed lyrical about how he could be the man to try and fill the void of the Liverpool-bound Isak.
The Slovenian had a similar goals-per-game ratio to what Isak had before joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad, was the same age as Isak when he joined Newcastle, and had many characteristics that Eddie Howe liked about the Swede such as his excellent pace, height and ability to score all types of different goals.
Newcastle were very close to signing Sesko with an offer worth somewhere in the region £69.8m including add-ons. Discussions over the full structure of the deal were believed to be at an advanced stage, when eventually after a prolonged saga, the striker decided that Man Utd represented the better project for him at that particular moment in his career.
The North East club have since moved on, signing a very different but extremely talented alternative in Nick Woltemade for a club-record fee while also attracting Yoane Wissa to join the club from Brentford on deadline day.
As it stands, Newcastle are winning the battle of the signings, with Woltemade scoring nine across all competitions and Sesko managing just two in the same timeframe. Both are two young strikers adapting to a new team, environment and league after leaving the Bundesliga, but so far the former is performing better.
Nevertheless, there’s aspects of the Sesko saga which will have left a bit of a bitter taste with Newcastle’s recruitment team, particularly during a challenging summer window which saw potential targets in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo also opt to move to Manchester amid rumours linking them with a move to St James’ Park.
Ruben Neves attracts interest from Manchester United
Newcastle travel to Manchester United this weekend in a match which is likely to have implications on the race for European football. Neither team has been as consistent as they’d hope this season, but at the same time both team’s have proven when in full flow they can be a force to be reckoned with.
The Red Devils are expected to be without Bruno Fernandes for the encounter due to a hamstring injury, which is a devastating blow to the team. He’s United’s club captain and has featured in 212 of the 221 games his team have played in since his arrival from Sporting CP, including 208 starts in that same timeframe.
The majority of the games he has missed have been down to rotation. For example, last year he was rested twice due to the club’s decision to priortise their run in Europe, while four of the other matches he’s missed have been due to suspension. Overall, that means he’s only ever missed three matches due to injury or illness for the football club.
Fernandes’ absence leaves the club with a problem going forward and also adds more pressure to 33-year-old Casemiro, who typically starts in central midfield while doing a lot of the running.
It presents a great opportunity for Kobbie Mainoo to step up amid persistent complaints from his entourage about his lack of opportunties, but has in turn also led to speculation that the club could make a move for someone like Ruben Neves in January.
Ruben Amorim says it is possible the club could make a January transfer window signing. "I don't know what is going to happen, but it's possible we can do something - we will see," the Red Devils boss explained.
"The only thing we know is that we would only try to bring players we think are going to be the future.It's not going to be to save something in this moment, to cope with the losses of three players for Afcon."
Why Newcastle United should be looking to try and hijack Man Utd’s move for Ruben Neves
Caught Offside reports that Neves is a priority target for both Newcastle and Manchester United heading into the January window. At Old Trafford, in the short term, he’d probably come in to try and fill Fernandes void in terms of creativity. While when both are fit and available, Neves would probably replace Casemiro in a double pivot, similar to how the Portuguese national team play.
Al-Hilal are believed to be open to a January sale after Neves’ decision to turn down a new long-term contract. Their logic is clear, rather than risk losing one of their marquee signings for free later down the line, the Saudi club are prepared to negotiate while they still hold leverage.
Neves contract expires in 2026 and it’s believed the club would listen to offers of around £20m in January. The former Wolves captain, who joined the club for £47m in 2023, would likely need to take a significant paycut to move back to England, with his reported salary currently being in excess of £400,000 per week.
Signing Neves could help take Newcastle to the next step and offer the team a fresh dimension in the middle of the park. As it stands, Newcastle have a hugely talented midfield compromising mainly of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, with youngster Lewis Miley also doing an excellent job in a makeshift right-back role.
However, none of those players are the stereotypical No.6 that likes to sit deep and dictate possession. Guimaraes prides himself on being one of the best athletes in the Premier League, often covering more distances than any other player and pressing high up the pitch, while Tonali is very much of a similar ilk. Joelinton brings a great deal of physicality to the team, but has experienced a drop-off in his performance levels and fitness in recent months.
Newcastle mantra has always essentially been that intensity is their identity. They are synoymous at their best with high-pressing in advanced areas and being hard to play against. But such a style is much harder to implement when playing in Europe on multiple fronts, in comparison to last season when the focus was purely on league and domestic cup matters.
The Magpies are hoping to transition into a team that can pick their moments for high intensity, but also control games by keeping the ball and conserving their energy at certain moments. So far after dropping a league-high 13 points from winning positions this term, it’s clear it’s something they struggle with, and the Toon have often failed to deal adequatley with central attacking midfielders that like to drop into the pockets, highlighting their need for a natural defensive midfielder.
Signing Neves ahead of Man Utd could help resolve this issue and bring a dimension to the team’s game that at times has been lacking. It would also send out a real statement of intent to the rest of the Premier League about the club’s desire to keep their seat at Europe’s elite table.