Eddie Howe enjoyed a fantastic January transfer window with Newcastle United as he brought in a number of quality additions to his side.
Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes all came through the door and have played a part in the club’s sensational form since the turn of the year.
Since the 1st of January, Liverpool are the only team with more Premier League points than the Magpies and this highlights the phenomenal impact their work in the market has had on the team – along with Howe’s coaching on the training pitch.
With survival almost secured, as they sit 15 points clear of the drop with five games left, focus can start to turn to next season and what the head coach will want to do in the next window.
One player the club have already been linked with a swoop for is Lyon’s central midfielder Lucas Paqueta, as the Toon are reportedly set to battle Arsenal for his signature.
Imagine him & Bruno
PIF and Howe must ensure that they can get this deal over the line as they can seal a terrifying midfield duo by reuniting Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes.
Would Paqueta be a good signing?
The pair have played together 47 times for Lyon and Brazil in their careers to date and this shows that they would already have a relationship on the pitch. They would not need time to adjust to each other’s style of play and would be able to instantly connect at the start of 2022/23, which will allow them to hit the ground running as a first-choice pairing for Howe.
Paqueta’s form in Ligue 1 this season suggests that he will be able to make a huge impact on the team. Talent scout Jacek Kulig went as far as to describe him as a “pure joy to watch” earlier this year and his statistics back that up as he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.12 in Ligue 1 – scoring eight goals and providing five assists from midfield.
Meanwhile, Magpies fans already know what a joy Guimaraes is to watch as he has been in fantastic form since arriving in England. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.16 in the Premier League as he has produced three goals and one assist in six starts for Howe.
Now, imagine both of them consistently turning in exciting, brilliant, displays in the middle of the park together as they score and assist goals! It is a mouth-watering prospect for the Toon faithful and a terrifying one for any opposition team…
AND in other news: Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”
