Newcastle United are looking for a forward to replace Chris Wood after the Magpies striker completed a loan move to Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest on Friday afternoon.
After helping the Magpies preserve their Premier League status following a £25m move from Burnley last January, Wood will now hope to repeat that achievement with Steve Cooper’s men and earn himself a permanent deal at the City Ground at the end of the season.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit to Crystal Palace, Magpies manager Eddie Howe gave his take on Wood’s departure and what could follow in the transfer market.
He said: “We’re hopefully planning to replace him. Certainly from my side, there was no thought of letting a player go and not replace him because I think that would leave us dangerously short of players but there are no guarantees. That’s the position we’re in.
“Hopefully. For me, if you’re going to sign a player in the forward areas, you want a player that can excite people, they are the players that can make a difference. But they are the hardest ones to find and recruit. That’s our task now with the time we have left.”
There are just under two weeks remaining in the January transfer window and there have been a whole host of forwards linked with moves to Tyneside prior to Wood’s departure. Speculation will only increase after the New Zealand international completed an initial loan move to the City Ground and NewcastleWorld have identified ten possible replacements that could arrive at St James Park before the end of the month.
1. Goncalo Ramos (Benfica)
A high-profile and expensive option, Ramos has been in prolific form during the domestic season with Benfica and hit the headlines with a hat-trick on his first World Cup star in a 6-1 win over Fabian Schar’s Switzerland. Photo: CARLOS COSTA
2. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
A long-term target of the United hierarchy, the Everton and England striker has endured a challenging season and has been hampered by injuries. Photo: Stu Forster
3. Luis Muriel (Atalanta)
The Colombian international has been linked with a move to Tyneside in the recent past and is out of contract at the end of the season. However, Atalanta reportedly hold an option to extend that deal by a year and at 31, his age may work against him in United’s pursuit of younger talent. Photo: Getty Images
4. Moussa Dembele (Lyon)
A former team-mate of Bruno Guimaraes, the one-time Celtic striker is another that is out of contract at the end of the season and could be available on a cut-price deal. Injuries and a lack of form could well mean United decide against revisiting their reported interest. Photo: Getty Images