Eddie Howe hasn’t minced his words when quizzed on Newcastle United’s interest in their former schoolboy Elliot Anderson, who was sold to Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest for about £35m in 2024.
Now regarded as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” by Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel, Anderson is indeed becoming a star, and Newcastle want him back, forced into cashing in to comply with PSR regulations.
But Manchester United are also known suitors, and Forest are set to demand in excess of £100m for their prized player.
Newcastle need a centre-midfielder, though, and technical director Ross Wilson is centring on a shrewd alternative.
Newcastle pursuing new midfielder
Though Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali are among the finest midfielders in the game, Joelinton is becoming a weak link, with Toon writer Thomas Hammond claiming this is “the start of the end” for the Brazilian.
The 29-year-old surely doesn’t have much more mileage left in the tank, having run many laps around the St. James’ Park grass across the years.
The interest in Anderson is suggestive of Howe’s stance on the mainstay’s future, but there is an alternative option in the pipeline for the PIF-backed side.
Indeed, Italian outlet Tuttomercato, Newcastle are pursuing a January move for Roma midfielder Manu Kone, who has been instrumental in the club’s blooming Serie A title charge this term.
Reports from the summer claim that the Italians have placed a €50m (£44m) price tag on the 24-year-old, but United and PIF would surely strike gold, should they bring him over.
What Manu Kone would bring to Newcastle
Kone has been at Roma since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, joining the club from Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany. He was a loanee last season but has since become a permanent member of Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad.
A powerhouse of a midfielder, the 6 foot 1 Frenchman is limber but endowed with natural strength that allows him to perform robustly in the engine room.
As well as being a crisp passer, Kone is also skilled as a carrier, looking to break lines.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 2% of Serie A midfielders this season for pass completion and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90. He regularly draws fouls from lunging opponents.
That aside, Kone has also been hailed as a “one-man army” in midfield by talent scout Jacek Kulig, owing to that strength and physicality in the middle of the park.
In this, he could be the perfect player to succeed Joelinton in Howe’s midfield, striking a balance between the different facets of a successful box-to-box role.
Matches (starts)
10 (10)
12 (12)
Goals
0
0
Assists
0
1
Touches*
39.5
62.2
Accurate passes*
22.2 (82%)
43.8 (92%)
Chances created*
0.5
1.0
Dribble (success)*
0.2 (50%)
1.2 (67%)
Recoveries*
3.4
4.7
Tackles + interceptions*
2.7
2.0
Clearances*
1.7
1.0
Duels won*
4.6
5.4
Errors made
2x
1x
Joelinton has had a good run in Howe’s midfield, but it’s time for ruthlessness to take precedence: the club have threatened to stagnate this term, and a breath of fresh air in the engine room could elevate the squad, reinforcing the backline and giving new support to the forwards.
His ball-carrying metrics have decreased significantly, and while he remains a combative and dangerous force in the middle, there’s no question that the Brazil international lacks the same full-throttle energy as once before.
Kone was considered a top talent during his early-career days in the German Bundesliga, and while he has endured some ebb-tide moments in his career, no one can deny that he is now blooming into a complete midfielder tailor-made for the Premier League.
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