Newcastle United may have dropped points in the Premier League for the first time this season after a 1-1 draw with AFC Bournemouth on Sunday, but this will be the least of Eddie Howe’s concerns.
With just five days left of the summer transfer window, the Magpies have failed to significantly strengthen their first-team squad.
Howe will need to act swiftly if this is going to change between now and Friday evening, although he is working on a few deals, including a South American starlet…
Newcastle eyeing move for Argentine sensation
According to news outlet Sportime (via Newcastle World), the club are interested in signing Olympiacos midfielder Santiago Hezze before the end of the summer window.
The report goes on to state that the Magpies are even preparing a bid worth around €20m (£17m) in order to secure his signature ahead of the deadline on Friday evening.
While Hezze might not be the marquee name the Toon Army are crying out for Howe to buy, there is no doubting his ability, and it could prove to be a wise investment indeed by the club.
Santiago Hezze’s 2023/24 season in numbers
The 22-year-old joined the Greek side from Huracan last summer, immediately settling in well on the continent.
He made a total of 50 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring once and grabbing three assists. His most telling contribution, however, was playing a key role in Olympiacos’ triumph in the Europa Conference League, the first European trophy for a Greek side.
Metric (per 90)
Super League
Conference League
Accurate passes
43.4
36.3
Tackles
2.4
1.9
Interceptions
1.4
1.3
Total duels won
4.3
4.8
Possession lost
9.5
13.4
Balls recovered
6.3
6.4
Among his teammates, Hezze ranked fourth for accurate passes per game (43.4) in the top flight last term, while also ranking first for tackles (2.4) and fourth for interceptions (1.4) per game, showcasing his defensive and passing abilities.
These traits as a deep-lying midfielder could work wonders alongside Bruno Guimaraes, who could push into a more advanced role should Hezze join the club.
When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Brazilian ranks in the top 3% for successful take-ons (1.86) per 90, while also ranking in the top 10% for shot-creating actions (3.82) and assists (0.22) per 90, underlining how important he was when going forward.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
These abilities led the 26-year-old to score seven times while registering ten assists for the Magpies last season. These numbers would likely have increased had Howe been able to utilise him in a more advanced role in the centre.
Should Hezze sign, this could see the Argentinian drop deeper into the slot that Guimaraes usually operates in, allowing him the freedom to cause further devastation to opposition defences.
The 22-year-old could subsequently help Guimaraes turn to a level of form that would inspire a return to European competition next year.
The next few days could potentially make or break Howe’s season in charge of Newcastle. Sign a few high-quality players and last season will be forgotten. Fail to add another new signing, however, and the supporters may just start getting restless.
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