Newcastle United have made a fair share of signings to bolster their midfield since the takeover of the Saudi PIF back in late 2021.
Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali are arguably two of the most high-profile, but the latter of the duo has missed the majority of his time on Tyneside after being found guilty of gambling on football matches during his time at AC Milan.
The Italian has been missing since October 2023, with the likes of Sean Longstaff, Joelinton and youngster Lewis Miley often filling the void left by the 24-year-old.
Eddie Howe is yet to see any sort of value for money on the £55m they forked out for his signature last summer, with his side expected to strengthen once more this window.
The club have a number of targets such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Conor Gallagher, but the Magpies have recently sent scouts to watch another midfield star who could transform Howe’s side next season.
Newcastle could swoop for £30m award winner this summer
According to a report from the Chronicle Live last week, Newcastle sent a scout to monitor Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley during their 3-2 victory over St Mirren at Celtic Park a couple of weeks ago.
The Magpies aren’t the only side to monitor the Danish talent, with the likes of Southampton, Leicester City and Leeds United also keen on winning the race for his signature.
O’Riley has enjoyed a phenomenal campaign north of the border, scoring 18 goals and providing 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership alone – finishing the season with a total of 31 goal contributions in just 37 matches.
His stellar season has attracted a lot of attention and rightly so. However, Celtic are expecting to part ways with the 24-year-old this summer, but it would take a bid in the region of £30m for the Scottish club to consider any approach – as per Football Insider.
Why Howe must ditch Longstaff for O’Riley this summer
Whilst Longstaff has enjoyed a solid campaign himself scoring six and assisting two in his 35 Premier League outings this season, he’s unfortunately not at the level required if they are to compete for a Champions League spot once more in 2024/25.
O’Riley, who won Celtic’s Young, Players and Supporters Player of the Season for 2023/24, has been dubbed “immense” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and it’s hard to disagree when seeing how he’s outperformed Longstaff in 2023/24.
The London-born maestro averaged 0.56 assists per 90 this season, with Longstaff only able to post a tally of 0.06 – a measly figure in comparison to the Celtic star.
O’Riley has also been a potent threat in the final third, averaging 4.1 shot-creating actions per 90 – a figure nearly three times higher than the Magpies' number 36.
Assists
0.56
0.06
Shot-creating actions
4.1
1.6
Progressive passes
4.8
4.6
Tackles
2.6
1.8
Interceptions
1.3
0.6
However, the 24-year-old has also dominated out of possession, winning 2.6 tackles per 90 as well as 1.3 interceptions, with Longstaff averaging just 0.6.
Whilst O’Riley has been featuring in a lower-quality division this campaign, it’s clear that he’s way too good for the Scottish Premiership, with Howe needing to brutally ditch Longstaff and replace him with the in-demand star.
The one-time Fulham man may cost the club a pretty penny, but he’s got the potential to add more goals and defensive solidity to the Newcastle side, potentially being the final piece in Howe’s midfield puzzle.
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