Newcastle United currently find themselves in the race to secure Champions League football next season by finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
With 20 games played, Eddie Howe’s side have won 10, drawn nine and lost one, leaving them with 39 points on the board in third place.
One figure in the squad that has been a very prominent player in the team this season that has helped get Newcastle to where they are is Sean Longstaff.
Specifically, the £50k-per-week midfielder has featured in every game for the Toon across all competitions, starting 22 of those 26 matches.
Over recent transfer windows, the Tyneside club have shown that they are not reluctant to spend money and bring new players to St. James’ Park.
Should the club look to the transfer market to further strengthen their squad, one player that they have been linked with that we feel would provide them with an upgrade on Longstaff is Youri Tielemans.
During his time with Leicester City, the midfielder has scored 28 goals and delivered 25 assists in 184 appearances across all competitions.
Would Youri Tielemans improve Newcastle?
Yes
No
In terms of being a potential upgrade on Longstaff, the Belgian’s efforts in the league this season have proved why that would be the case.
For example, from an attacking point of view, Tielemans has racked up more shots on target (7 vs 3), key passes (23 vs 17) and shot-creating actions (58 vs 41) than the Newcastle figure.
Hailed by Gary Lineker for a “stunning” volley he scored for Brendan Rodgers’ side earlier this season, the midfielder certainly carries a significant goal threat.
Then from a defensive standpoint, the Foxes star has made more successful tackles (25 vs 14) and interceptions (17 vs 12) than Longstaff.
Taking all of this into account, we feel that if Howe wants to add some strength and depth to his midfield with someone that has what it takes to become an important first-team figure for the Toon, then seeing PIF secure a deal for Tielemans is definitely something that should be on the agenda at Newcastle.