Michael Owen has given the benefit of his experience to the Newcastle United owners as we approach a huge summer.
Only a month and five games left to go of this current campaign.
The former Newcastle United striker/waster outlining the issues facing his old club and what needs to happen in the upcoming transfer window.
Michael Owen talking to the Chronicle about Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa: “It is always difficult with late signings in the window, bedding players in, getting used to the way the team plays, getting up to speed with what the manager wants…but these two players haven’t delivered to the level of the investment made in them, that is for sure. So it’s a tough one for Eddie and the players to decide what’s best…Woltemade is a handful up front and can definitely be part of Eddie’s plans but they do need to get their recruitment right in the summer…”
Almost all summer transfer windows will see players arrive AND others leave.
As always, the challenge is to try and bring in the ideal signings AND move on the right players.
Michael Owen on the upcoming summer 2026 window: “This is very difficult for Newcastle United and Eddie Howe. You don’t want to keep a player who doesn’t want to be at the club. There is a case of throwing more wages at players that you want to keep and happy to stay if they believe they are being paid well, but it’s also about recruitment should any of these players leave. If Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes leaves, then you have to look to have a strong replacement in mind as both of these have midfielders will be a massive miss for Newcastle and would be tough to replace. Same with Anthony Gordon…for me you want to keep your best players, but sometimes if the money is right and the player wants to leave, you may have to lose one or two of these BUT have replacements in place.”
The summer 2026 transfer window opens on Monday 15 June, which is now just over seven weeks away.
Michael Owen on which positions the Newcastle United owners and Eddie Howe need to target: “I think centre-back and centre-forward Newcastle would need to strengthen in. Newcastle need to score more and have a strong focal point up front and in defence, another top commanding centre-back as some of the goals they have conceded could have been avoided…I’m sure Eddie Howe has already drawn up a list of who his targets would be.”