Newcastle could receive Anderson's “stunning” £35m upgrade

What is that, away from St. James' Park, left Newcastle United for a huge fee without kicking a ball under Eddie Howe?

It's 19-year-old Yankuba Minteh, who was sold to Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion for just under £30m, one year after signing for Newcastle from Danish side Odense for a peppercorn fee. Elliott Anderson has also left his youth club, joining Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £35m.

Given that Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes have been the subject of much speculation over their futures on Tyneside as United struggle to shine in the PSR, it hasn't been a bad process for the Magpies.

Who needs a sports director, ay? The Magpies have impressed, cleared past financial hurdles in their way, and now the focus is on strengthening a talented squad, who will watch European football on home soil next season after Manchester United's FA Cup triumph sealed a place in the Conference League.

Lewis Hall's loan to Chelsea has been made permanent, while Lloyd Kelly has completed a free transfer after his contract at Bournemouth expired. Now, Howe needs to turn his attention to midfield.

Newcastle must sign a midfielder

The choice is not very small in the engine room. Bruno Guimaraes took part as the main player, surrounded in the central circle by Joelinton and Sean Longstaff, joined in the team by Joe Willock, Lewis Miley and Sandro Tonali (suspended until August).

Newcastle need more zest in midfield, especially with Anderson gone. Signing a creative minded player is important, with such thoughts summed up by former Arsenal and Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva.

The 47-year-old has said “a move to Newcastle would be good” for Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira, who is currently playing in the Copa America with Brazil, following recent reports that the Magpies could be interested in the £35m star midfielder. players are sold.

Well, Anderson is now gone, and Longstaff is considered to be leaving given his domestic situation. This is definitely one to watch.

What Andreas Pereira would bring to Newcastle

Pereira first graced the English game after signing for Manchester United in his formative years from PSV Eindhoven, he went on to make 75 appearances for the Red Devils but remained on the fringes, signing for Fulham in a £10m deal in 2022.

It's been a couple of years at Craven Cottage, where the Brazilian primarily played in midfield could do wonders for Newcastle, linking the central players with the attacking three and improving the overall fluidity of Howe's unit.

Eight goals and 15 assists across both conditions is not a bad return, providing the ability to create Marco Silva's outfit and experience besides, fulfilling the previous praise from Jose Mourinho for his “which is amazing“level.

The 28-year-old's level of play would be a great addition to Newcastle's squad, especially given Isak's alarming goal-scoring style and flying runs like Gordon, who would appreciate so many passes thrown his way. .

Some may feel that Guimaraes offers that kind of ability, but the highly regarded midfielder sits at the bottom of the pitch, averaging 1.7 key passes per game. Joelinton, a barging and mobile player, averaged 1.2 per outing last term.

Anderson, who started just 10 Premier League games last season, played in a highly developed position that saw Pereira recognized as a natural, strong, sharp defender.

Why Pereira could be an upgrade for Anderson

Anderson averaged just 0.7 key passes a game in the top flight last year, although this is understandable given his early stutter and youth.

However, the Toon native has been praised for his “tireless” talent in the past by former Newcastle boss Steve Bruce. Losing him is a blow; Magpies fans will be confident he will blossom into an impressive Premier League star at the City Ground.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 19% of players in the top five leagues in Europe last year for assists, the top 3% for carries and successful takedowns and the top 6% for 90 blocks. Such metrics underscore the rounded and progressive nature of his skill set.

It's also a nod to the young talent's playmaking ability, something Pereira can discount and others, having played so much football, is ranked in the top 8 percent of his peers for assists set at 90.

Part of the reason why Pereira has been so effective at Fulham over the past few years has been the protection provided by Joao Palhinha, who is praised as “defense monster” by data and video analyst Marcus Bring after averaging an impressive 4.6 per game and winning 7.8 duels on average in the Premier League last season.

Guimaraes is less of a defensive midfielder from the deep end of the pitch, but still averages 2.4 tackles and 7.7 successful duels per game.

Pereira would find promising conditions where he could flourish in St. James' Park, and if Newcastle is really serious, he could be a dream addition to make them fly and forget about Anderson's departure soon.