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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Sun, Newcastle want to sign Burnley’s Dwight McNeil as new boss Steve Bruce lines up a spending spree.
What’s the word?
This summer has been an extremely difficult one for the Toon Army to deal with, with Rafa Benitez and Ayoze Perez both walking through the exit door.
They’ve also had to come to terms with the fact that Salomon Rondon won’t return either, leaving Newcastle without their two top goalscorers from 2018/19.
However, after appointing Bruce as their new manager, there could finally be some good news on the transfer front.
Per a report from The Sun, it is suggested that Newcastle want to sign McNeil, and have done for some time. The newspaper claim that the teenager is rated at £30m, although the Magpies only want to pay half of that.
Almiron to move into a free role
McNeil burst onto the scene last season with the Clarets, cementing himself as one of their most promising players.
In the Premier League, the 19-year-old scored three goals as well as laying on five assists.
Playing on the left-hand side, he was a regular threat for Sean Dyche’s men but if he arrived in the north-east, it could force a change of position for Miguel Almiron.
That being said, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
After arriving last term, the Paraguayan was subjected to playing on the left-wing, an area where McNeil has thrived.
Therefore, if the Burnley man did indeed walk through the doors of St James’ Park, it can give Newcastle license to move him into his favoured position of behind the striker.
The prospect of Steve Bruce at the helm has Newcastle fans calling for the return of a very unpopular former manager in the video below…
When playing in MLS for Atlanta, he was devastating when playing in the number ten role.
Throughout the course of the 2018 campaign, he featured 26 times as an attacking midfielder, scoring 11 goals and also picking up the same number of assists.
You sense that continuing to play him on the left would be somewhat of a mistake but signing McNeil would allow him to change positions.
There could, of course, be some concern with who plays on the right, but if it helps to get the best out of Almiron, signing a capable left-winger and switching the Paraguay international could be game-changing.