Report: 'Underrated' Newcastle man linked with £20million Saudi move this summer

In order for Newcastle United to do the business they need to do in the transfer market this summer there is likely to be some big-name departures to facilitate that business.

When we say 'big-name' we're not talking Bruno Guimaraes or Alexander Isak, as much as that would absolutely delight the mainstream media, but we will likely see one or two first-team players moved on before the window closes.

One such player who is tipped to leave this summer is Callum Wilson. The 32-year-old has just returned from injury again but wasted no time getting himself back on the goal trail with two goals in his last two games.

Wilson's quality has never been an issue, but his fitness has left a lot to be desired with the prolific forward prone to missing far too many games in a season.

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Wilson's strike-rate for Newcastle is phenomenal

If there was a world in which Callum Wilson could stay fit for over 30 games in a season, we'd not be contemplating letting him go as his strike-rate is up there with the best of them, but the reality is, we could still cash in on him now and fund a move for a younger striker who we can mould into a player of Wilson's calibre.

The Telegraph are now claiming that a £20million move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad could be in Wilson's future which would be ideal for Newcastle as we'd be getting back what we paid for him in 2020.

The striker branded 'underrated' by Jermain Defoe became Newcastle's outright second-highest Premier League goal scorer yesterday surpassing Peter Beardsley.

Selling Wilson would leave Newcastle needing to buy two strikers

Wilson now has 10 goals this season from his 25 appearances which shows just how lethal he is when he does play, but at 32 he's not getting any younger, and given how often he is injured, it may be in Newcastle's best interests to let him go this summer.

It would be bitter-sweet as losing his goals will be a big miss, and it would mean that Eddie Howe would need to bring in two strikers to as we already need cover in that area, but selling a player in their 30s for as much as you paid for them four years prior can't be turned down.

Finding two strikers on the type of budget that Newcastle will be working with this summer could be an impossible task, however, and Eddie Howe may therefore opt to keep hold of Wilson for another season.