Upgrading Newcastle’s attack: Where are they looking to strengthen? Who do they want to sign?

Newcastle United may have concluded their headline transfer of the summer so far on Wednesday, yet the club aim to end the window by making at least one further eye-catching offensive addition.

Nico Gonzalez completed his move from Manchester City for an initial £48million ($65.3m), but Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Bilal El Khannouss of Stuttgart and a shortlist of other attackers are being worked on ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

A further signing beyond a forward is not being entirely ruled out, and there should be exits, too.

Matthias Jaissle, the new head coach, declared on Wednesday he is “pushing every day” for further reinforcements, while “very active” is how one Newcastle source, speaking anonymously so they could talk freely about club strategy, describes their present transfer-market status.

This is what Newcastle still need to do in the four days before the window closes.

Which position(s) are Newcastle looking to strengthen?

Their primary focus is on bringing in at least one attacker.

The description “attacker” sounds vague but that is intentional, as Newcastle are looking at offensive targets who play in subtly different positions or have varying profiles as players. Versatile forwards who can play anywhere on the front line, wingers, No 10s and out-and-out striker targets exist, though Newcastle have a small shortlist of players across those positions they are looking at.

Jaissle has his eye on some attacking additions (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Beyond creative players, Jaissle has identified centre-back as a position in which pace is required moving forwards. As things stand, however, the prospect of another central defender joining is low, even despite Dan Burn, the new club captain, being sidelined until after the September/October international break.

Recruiting another full-back does not appear to be in Newcastle’s immediate thinking, especially given newcomer Amar Dedic’s excellent start to life on Tyneside, despite having only three senior wide defenders.

Do we know who they are aiming to sign?

Yes. Well, two of the names at least — Fernandez-Pardo and El Khannouss.

Newcastle sources insist there are more — although not many more — and that concurrent negotiations are taking place for multiple players.

The primary target is Fernandez-Pardo, who Newcastle have been aggressive in pitching their project to. The Belgium international is a long-term target, with Eddie Howe previously a keen admirer of a forward who has stylistic similarities to a young Anthony Gordon.

Interestingly, the 21-year-old was top of Newcastle’s shortlist in the spring but, once they failed to qualify for Europe, they were given the impression Fernandez-Pardo was unattainable. Yet they have subsequently felt enough encouragement that the athletic and adaptable winger-cum-forward would still be willing to join that they have re-entered the race.

Newcastle face stiff competition from more than half a dozen clubs across Europe, however, and are unwilling to meet Lille’s present asking price. The Ligue 1 club are renowned for being tough negotiators and some on Tyneside have been pessimistic in their assessment of the likelihood a deal will be concluded.

Yet Fernandez-Pardo has reportedly made his desire to leave northern France clear.

“I have decided, in consultation with the club, that he will no longer train with the squad until the end of the transfer window,” Davide Ancelotti, the Lille head coach, said at his press conference on Thursday, as reported by Get Football News France. “I am focusing on the players who are available for (Friday’s Paris Saint-Germain) match and who are training with us.”

Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo is a target for Newcastle (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

An alternative option is El Khannouss, who Newcastle looked at before he joined Stuttgart from Leicester City last summer following their relegation to the Championship.

The 22-year-old is more technical and inventive than Fernandez-Pardo and less of a runner, though his vision and ability to score and create from central positions would provide a point of difference for a Newcastle squad short of inspiration in the final third.

Insiders suggest Newcastle are not necessarily in ‘active’ talks for El Khannouss yet, though.

They also point to undisclosed alternatives who the club are looking at — Feyenoord’s 24-year-old winger Anis Hadj Moussa keeps being linked, though sources have played down a move for him previously — and are adamant Newcastle will not “panic” and veer away from their present list of targets, unless an attractive option suddenly becomes available (with unforeseen loans always possible late in a window).

Does the overall success of Newcastle’s window hinge on further arrivals?

No, because they have conducted a significant squad reset already and Nico has the gravitas of a summer-defining signing, though it will feel like Jaissle has been left a little short in attack without at least one further addition.

Burn’s injury has also spotlighted the shortcomings in the central-defensive department. Jaissle’s decision last week to raise the prospect of Dedic playing centre-half, as he did occasionally as a youth player, hinted at the German’s concerns about his options in that area.

“Newcastle United 2.0”, as David Hopkinson, the CEO, is terming this fresh era at St James’ Park, is about a young, up-and-coming head coach overseeing a youthful, hungry squad of players who want to be on Tyneside and grow with the club. Already, there are uplifting signs of the intense, ‘vertical’, high-pressing style Jaissle intends to implement.

Yet were Newcastle to provide him with another creative player, the squad composition would have a better balance to it. Currently, they look short of the guile and ingenuity required to regularly break down low-block defences.

Bilal El Khannouss in action for Morocco during the recent World Cup (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Will there be exit(s) before Tuesday night?

In all likelihood, yes.

Nico’s arrival made it 21 senior outfield players at Jaissle’s disposal and, with another one or two potentially joining, there is a need to move some people on.

Joe Willock had long been expected to depart in this window but now looks set to remain at the club, despite being pursued by Besiktas, while Jacob Murphy has attracted interest but is a key leader in the dressing room. Nick Pope is available, given he is third-choice goalkeeper at best now, though the impression being given is that the 34-year-old may yet stay unless a late offer, most likely in the form of a loan, arrives.

Nick Woltemade’s future feels uncertain. Although Jaissle suggested on Wednesday he “expects” the Germany forward to stay, he then caveated his compatriot’s situation by adding, “We’re talking today (but) football is quite complex and things can change from one day to the other.”

With Will Osula out for a fortnight or so because of a foot injury, Jaissle is short of strikers, though an attacking signing or two may facilitate a potential exit for Woltemade. A loan appears most likely in that eventuality, given Newcastle’s UEFA financial position would be negatively affected should they accept a substantial loss on their £64million club-record signing of this week last August, though a prospective temporary departure for the 24-year-old had previously been downplayed by senior figures.

Multiple loans for under-21 players are also possible.

Leo Shahar, the right-back, and Sean Neave, the forward, who are both 19, may leave temporarily, depending upon Jaissle’s senior-squad needs.

Park Seung-soo, the 19-year-old winger, Rory Finneran, the 18-year-old Republic of Ireland international midfielder, and Miodrag Pivas, the 21-year-old defender, are among others who could move out. Pivas is likely to be kept around if another centre-back is not signed, though.

Trevan Sanusi, another 19-year-old winger, could also go, perhaps permanently.