Callum Wilson out for “weeks maybe months”
Newcastle’s survival hopes hinge on the next four weeks, and what they can manage to achieve in the transfer window.
While this was always the case, it became even more apparent when Callum Wilson and Alan Saint-Maximin both went off the field injured in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United, leaving the Magpies without their two most influential game-changers as they still seek a second Premier League win of the season.
Eddie Howe issues Callum Wilson injury update amid Newcastle’s potential goal crisis | @SimonBird_https://t.co/FVDruJnchK pic.twitter.com/6ba2alqYvo
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) December 28, 2021
After the clash, Eddie Howe confirmed Newcastle fans’ worst fears, revealing:
Callum’s injury looks severe, weeks maybe months. I feared for him when he went down with nobody around him. A pull. Allan, I don’t think is as serious.
“We are thin on the ground in terms of bodies.”
As a result, a new striker in January is a must, but can they attract their main target?
Darwin Nunez in their sights
Newcastle are in the tricky position of trying to attract players to the club for what is to come as much as for their current predicament.
Benfica forward Darwin Nunez very much falls into that category. Pursued by the likes of Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, it is nonetheless Newcastle that have made the first move, according to reports in Spain.
As per Spanish outlet AS, Newcastle enquired about the Uruguayan in December, but were quickly rebuffed by the Portuguese outfit, for whom Nunez has scored 13 times in 13 league games.
Benfica’s Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez (TOP) vies with Rio Ave’s Brazilian forward Ronan during the Portuguese League football match between Rio Ave FC and SL Benfica at the Rio Ave FC – Dos Arcos stadium in Vila do Conde on October 18, 2020. (Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP) (Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP via Getty Images)
However, the report continues to suggest that Newcastle would, in light of their desperate need for a striker, be willing to raise their offer for Nunez. Whether it comes anywhere near the reported 80 million euros that Benfica are holding out for remains to be seen.
