Eddie Howe has been faced with a similar issue to last season in that he only ever has one striker fit at a time, at best.
While Newcastle United did address the issue in the summer in some respect by bringing in Will Osula from Sheffield United for £15 million, his lack of minutes this season shows that Eddie howe doesn't feel he's ready to shoulder the burden of leading the line for the team.
With Callum Wilson eternally injured, Paul Mitchell really needs to address the striker situation and the sooner the better.
The January transfer window is drawing ever nearer and there's a chance that Newcastle may do some business regarding a striker then, but we're not holding our breath. We think it'll more likely be in the summer that a striker is sought.
However, one of Eddie Howe's long-term targets has been touted as a possibility in January with his contract expiring in the summer.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was reportedly a target in the summer but Everton held firm on their £40 million asking price which Newcastle deemed to be too much.
However, interest still remains apparently, and the Magpies will be hoping that they can cash in on his contract situation by picking up the 27-year-old on the cheap in January.
It wouldn't be a popular move amongst Newcastle fans, however, as he's seen as Callum Wilson 2.0 in that his fitness record is shocking.
Fortunately for Newcastle, Sean Dyche has said (via The Chronicle) that Everton will not panic sell Calvert-Lewin in the winter window and hope he will sign an extension at the Toffees.
“We can still make decisions on situations and I can’t see anything other than him being [at Everton] certainly until the end of his contract and then hopefully beyond. We’ll see," the Everton boss said. “I think the bigger prize in this case is Premier League football for Everton Football Club. You know when I got in it was like, ‘you need to safeguard what we’re doing’. So that’s the number one priority.
“Along that journey and timeline we’ve had to obviously bring money in, that’s been quite apparent, spend less and bring more in. Lower the wages of course.
“But to be giving players away at any cost because you need some money, fortunately we’ve never been pushed that far and that is still the same now. We can still make decisions on situations and I can’t see anything other than him being here, certainly until the end of his contract and then hopefully beyond. We’ll see.”
Be a good man, Sean, and stick by your word.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
12 | 16 | 31 |
2 |
Manchester City
|
12 | 5 | 23 |
3 |
Chelsea
|
12 | 9 | 22 |
4 |
Arsenal
|
12 | 9 | 22 |
5 |
Brighton
|
12 | 5 | 22 |
6 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
12 | 14 | 19 |
7 |
Nottingham Forest
|
12 | 2 | 19 |
8 |
Aston Villa
|
12 | 0 | 19 |
9 |
Fulham
|
12 | 0 | 18 |
10 |
Newcastle United
|
12 | 0 | 18 |
11 |
Brentford
|
12 | 0 | 17 |
12 |
Manchester United
|
12 | 0 | 16 |
13 |
Bournemouth
|
12 | -1 | 15 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
12 | -4 | 15 |
15 |
Everton
|
12 | -7 | 11 |
16 |
Leicester
|
12 | -8 | 10 |
17 |
Wolves
|
12 | -8 | 9 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
12 | -10 | 9 |
19 |
Crystal Palace
|
12 | -7 | 8 |
20 |
Southampton
|
12 | -15 | 4 |