Newcastle United have finally broken out of their recent transfer window miseries by splashing some cash during the January transfer period. The Magpies successfully managed to acquire Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United permanently and Antonio Barreca from AS Monaco on a loan deal until the end of this campaign. However, what surprised the most was not the new additions but the fact that the Tyneside outfit actually smashed their transfer record to sign Almiron who is expected to make a big impact once he overcomes his visa issues and wears the famous Toon jersey for the first time this season.
Rafael Benitez managed to land some of his transfer targets last month finally and to top it all off; he also got to celebrate a fantastic 2-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday night. However, despite putting on a brave defensive display against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this weekend, the Magpies failed to come away with a result from the Wembley Stadium which will disappoint the Toon Army.
Let’s take a look at the strongest Newcastle United lineup that Benitez could opt for if every member of the Magpies squad is fit and ready for selection.
Defence
Martin Dubravka has already proven that he can be a reliable option in between the sticks for the Tyneside outfit. He should be protected by the central defensive duo of Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar who have both been Benitez’s best defenders this season.
DeAndre Yedlin has the pace to cover a lot of ground down the right flank so he could get the nod to start ahead of Javier Manquillo at the right-back position. The new January arrival from Monaco, Antonio Barreca will be expected to feature at left-back when he is ready for first-team action.
Midfield
Mohamed Diame has shown in the past that he is a willing worker who can act as the midfield powerhouse for the Magpies. Jonjo Shelvey will probably resume his duties as a facilitator at the middle of the park.
Ki-sung Yeung might be a controversial pick to feature in Newcastle’s strongest first-team, but to his credit, the South Korean had previously proven that he could chip in with goals from midfield and also possesses the ability to pick out a final pass.
Both Matt Ritchie and Ayoze Perez have been amongst the goals for the Magpies of late so they should provide support from the wide areas.
Attack
Miguel Almiron lit up the Major League Soccer with a number of dazzling displays for Atlanta United last season, so a lot is expected from him when he finally laces up his boots to play at St. James’ Park this season. The Paraguayan international is a consistent goal-scorer which is exactly what Benitez’s side are in need of right now.
