The £70m genius signing who would see Newcastle United launch title challenge next season

Newcastle United will be one of the clubs to watch during the summer transfer window the Magpies look to build on the momentum built up during a remarkable season that ended with Eddie Howe’s men securing a place in the Champions League.

Over the last 18 months, the signings of Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope saw the St James’ Park hierarchy move for experienced Premier League players, but the majority of their transfer successes have come with ambitious moves for the likes of Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak, Lille centre-back Sven Botman and, perhaps most significantly, Lyon’s Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes.

After an initial settling-in period that saw Eddie Howe limit the midfielder to a handful of substitute appearances, Guimaraes showed his undoubted ability by slotting perfectly into the United side and played a lead role in their remarkable push away from the relegation places and into the safety of a lower mid-table position by the time the 2021/22 season came to a close.

Five goals in 17 appearances during his first four months on Tyneside may seem a perfectly average return but that figure saw Guimaraes surpass the three goals he scored during 71 appearances for Lyon and he has since moved into double figures for Newcastle with five goals last season. The problem - if it can indeed be viewed as a problem - for Eddie Howe is that Guimaraes has proven to be integral in a number of roles within the Magpies side. Perhaps viewed as more of a progressive, box-to-box midfielder during his early months at St James’ Park, the Brazil star was utilised in a less adventurous role last season to great effect.

Although his ability to hold onto the ball in difficult areas and provide a launchpad for high energy attacks from his team-mates was integral in the Magpies successful push for a Champions League spot, there was a nagging feeling Guimaraes would make a more significant impact if he was able to get on the ball further up the pitch.

That would mean United venturing into the transfer market for a more defensive minded midfielder - but one that would need to tick a number of boxes to slot into an Eddie Howe side. Energy, positional awareness, aggression and comfort on the ball are all essential factors and despite successful ventures into the European transfer market, being Premier League-ready would be preferential.

When the Magpies have spent big, it tends to be on players of a certain age, those with a potential to grow with the club, as opposed to outgrowing it as has been the way under previous owners. So looking at all of those factors, it would be tempting to suggest a ridiculously ambitious move for West Ham United and England midfielder Declan Rice should be on the agenda but, at this point in time, I think it would be unrealistic to suggest he would seriously consider a move to Tyneside and may well fall outside of the financial parameters currently in place.

So where to look for alternatives? There are a number in the Premier League and I do think Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister would have been a useful addition to the Magpies midfield, despite being a more adventurous player than the one I have identified. As I have said before, in my opinion, he will become integral for Liverpool and will form a key role of what should be a new look midfield at Anfield during the coming season.

Staying on the south coast and with Brighton, a move for Moises Caicedo would tick a lot of boxes for Newcastle and the Ecuador international meets every requirement to fit into a United midfield. Despite being only 21, Caicedo has already made over 50 appearances for the Seagulls and has proven himself at international level by earning 30 caps for Ecuador, including three appearances at the World Cup Finals last season.

The style of play utilised by former Brighton manager Graham Potter and his successor Roberto De Zerbi is not too different to Eddie Howe’s setup at Newcastle, meaning Caicedo’s transition from south coast to North East should be relatively straightforward. The physical demands of performing in a Magpies side will not be a problem for the midfielder, who has received 12 yellow cards in 45 appearances for Brighton, something symptomatic of their aggressive, front-foot approach.

Although he has only provided two goals and three assists in 53 appearances, the former Independiente del Valle star has shown his ability to retain possession and allow his midfield partners to flourish in advanced positions safe in the knowledge he will provide support should an attack break down.

Significantly, Caicedo’s pass completion rate sits at a similar figure to other Magpies targets such as Khephren Thuram and Manuel Ugarte, as do his stats for tackles won in the defensive third, successful blocks, recoveries and interceptions across the pitch. Caicedo would be able to slot into the base of a Magpies midfield and provide all of the energy, quality and discipline shown by Guimaraes, but would also allow the Brazilian to play a leading role in ventures into the attacking third. Unlocking the attacking potential and creative outlet of the former Lyon man and maintaining the defensive discipline he provided throughout last season means Caicedo would be a clever addition to the Magpies side, although would command a significant fee.

The Brighton star would not come cheaply, with reports suggesting the Seagulls would demand a fee in excess of £60m for the midfielder, despite Di Zerbi admitting is seemed likely Caicedo would depart before the start of next season. There have been suggestions Newcastle’s budget for the summer would come anywhere between £75million and £130million, meaning a move for Caicedo would take up a significant proportion of the available funds. The Magpies will also be wary of being dragged into a bidding war with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea also said to be actively pursuing the midfielder.

There is no doubt United will make more signings this summer as they prepare for a first return to the Champions League since the days of Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy - but adding Caicedo to their ranks could well give them something extra that could push them closer towards the Premier League’s front-runners next season.