Newcastle United’s lack of ambition during the summer transfer window could come back to haunt them, especially as the Premier League fixtures come thick and fast leading up to the festive period.
Eddie Howe made just five signings, including 37-year-old goalkeeper John Ruddy and 21-year-old centre-forward William Osula, hardly the type of players to push the club back into the top four.
The former Bournemouth manager also allowed a few players to leave the club too. Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummet left for nothing, while Yankuba Minteh joined Brighton for a fee of around £30m.
It was the departure of Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest which was the most surprising, however.
With the need to balance the books to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, an offer of £35m was obviously going to help massively.
Howe recently claimed that he didn’t want to part with Anderson, who is now shining with Forest as they have impressed in the Premier League this season.
Elliot Anderson’s stats this season
For the Magpies last year, Anderson made 26 appearances, registering just two assists, yet his future at the club looked bright indeed.
They weren’t the most eye-catching stats, but as he matured and played more often, they would only improve as time went on. Forest are now getting the best out of the Englishman, however.
In 11 Premier League matches under Nuno Espirito Santo, Anderson has already recorded three assists and there will be many more to come, that’s for sure.
Aside from these assists, the 22-year-old has also created four big chances, averages 1.3 key passes and succeeds with 1.4 dribbles – a success rate of 71% – per game in the top flight.
The midfielder also recovers 3.8 balls per game and wins 5.7 total duels per game, showcasing his talents from a defensive viewpoint and this all-round ability has allowed him to star for Forest this term.
Metric
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
0
0
Assists
2
3
Big chances created
2
4
Total duels won per game
4
5.7
Key passes per game
0.7
1.3
It is clear that Howe needs to replace the player who left during the summer transfer window. Is he eyeing up a young talent from Germany as an ideal heir for Anderson?
Newcastle transfer news
According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are eyeing up a move for Hertha Berlin’s attacking midfielder, Ibrahim Maza.
The German have reportedly set his asking price at around €20 (£17m) as they look set to cash in on the player come January.
The Magpies face competition from fellow Premier League sides such as Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, West Ham United and Brentford.
Newcastle have taken a step further and sent scouts to Hertha’s recent clash against Darmstadt, the only club out of the aforementioned ones to do so.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
This suggests Howe is leading the chase for the youngster as he bids to improve his current squad. A fee of under £20m is also well within his current budget.
Ibrahim Maza’s statistics for Hertha Berlin
The 18-year-old made his senior debut during the 2022/23 campaign, appearing twice in the Bundesliga and even scoring against Wolfsburg on the last day of the season.
Hertha were relegated and spent 2023/24 in the second tier, with Maza making a total of 13 league appearances for the club, registering three goal contributions in the process, and it was clear he was a star in the making.
This has been evidenced by his performances throughout the current season. Not only has Maza featured in all but one of his club’s league clashes this season, but the Algerian has scored four goals and grabbed two assists. Add in another goal in the German Cup and the youngster is on fire.
Hailed as a “wonderkid” by one journalist, Maza – who talent scout Jacek Kulig also described as “one of the most exciting U19s in Germany” – certainly has the world at his feet, for that there is no doubt.
When compared to positional peers within the German second tier, Maza currently ranks in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and successful take-ons per 90, while also ranking in the top 3% for progressive carries per 90 and in the top 8% for total shots per 90.
These stats show a player who is comfortable at pushing into the final third as often as possible, while also having the confidence to take on opposition defenders with ease during matches.
With Newcastle having a gap to fill due to Anderson’s departure, could the young midfielder fill in this void should he join the club in January?
Why Ibrahim Maza could replace Elliot Anderson
Last season, Anderson only created two big chances while averaging 0.7 key passes per game for the Toon, hardly statistics that got the supporters off their seats.
It was his defensive work that was more promising, with the midfielder making 1.1 tackles and recovering 2.9 balls per game in the Premier League.
The Englishman often played at the heart of the midfield, which meant his creative talents weren’t on show as often as he would have liked. But it is clear Howe needs a player to create plenty of chances for his team going forward and Maza fits the bill.
Defensively this season, Maza has been impressive, showing maturity beyond his 18 years. Indeed, he averages 1.5 tackles per game and has won 5.9 total duels per game – a success rate of 53% – which shows his tenacious nature in the midfield area.
Yes, he may lose possession on average 15.8 times per game, but this is due to the risks he takes pushing forward, which certainly isn’t a bad trait to have.
Maza may still be developing, but Howe could see this transfer as one that might improve his starting XI ahead of the second half of the campaign.
The club have scored just 13 times in the top flight this season, which heightens their need for some more creativity in the final third.
If they can sign the Algerian sensation in January, they could be onto a winner.
Newcastle must regret losing academy ace who's outperforming Gordon in PL
Newcastle lost an academy talent who’s now outperforming Gordon in the Premier League.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 23, 2024