00:00With Newcastle United's interest in French forward from Eintracht Frankfurt, Hugo Eketike Kooling now leaving Liverpool perhaps to sign the forward.
00:10Newcastle obviously will still be in the market for a replacement for Callum Wilson, someone who can rotate or even play alongside Alexander Isaac.
00:18The names of Johan Visser from Brentford and Benjamin Sesko have been mentioned, but once a forward is secured for Newcastle United, what's next?
00:26Of course, there's been a lot of talk of James Trafford from Burnley, the goalkeeper.
00:30That move seems to just be on ice until I think other things get sorted.
00:34But, of course, Newcastle is still in the market for a centre-half as well, someone who can play alongside Sven Bautmann.
00:41Obviously, Dan Byrne and Fabian Shaw did exceedingly well last season, but they're both in their early to mid-30s now and so won't last forever.
00:49So, Newcastle will want a replacement.
00:51Let's go now to Joe Buck of the Shields Gazette.
00:53Joe, where will Newcastle turn to once the forward is secure in their squad?
01:01Yeah, I think for me the priority has to be in centre-half.
01:04I think last season Fabian Shaw and Dan Byrne did really well, not just to stay fit, but the level of performances they put in week after week.
01:10But I don't think you can rely on that next year.
01:12Obviously, Sven Bautmann is coming back and it's great to see him back.
01:15How long he can stay fit for, no-one really knows.
01:17You know, the player himself won't know.
01:18Or the staff won't know how many minutes he can play next year.
01:22So, I think centre-back has to be one of their main priorities.
01:27Whether that's someone who can, you know, like, for example, Mark Geh, he can come in and start every game.
01:31Or whether they go for someone abroad and think, right, we're going to have, like they might do with EGTG, give them a year to bet in.
01:36And then they become the starter, sort of, next season.
01:39That's a decision they have to make.
01:40But, yeah, the money they're going to spend, or they've already spent already, a potential EGTG means that they, there is limited, not limited funds, because that makes it scary longer and that they haven't got much money.
01:51But there is, you know, there is a limit of what they can spend because of PSR.
01:57Selling Longstaff and Willick does open up a few doors and unlocks a little bit.
02:01But, again, if you sell Longstaff and Willick, for example, you're then going to have to probably buy another central midfielder because you're going to go into the season with, you know, really four options.
02:08And if you stick to the 4-3-3 formation, that's, you know, that's not very many other options if there's an injury in there.
02:15So, it's a lot of, it's a lot of moving parts.
02:18And I think the James Trafford one for me is one that they, it would be a shame for them not to get it done because we know how much, you know, James Trafford wanted to join, how much they admire him.
02:27But when you've got Nick Polk there and Martin Debrafka showed in last season, you've got probably two very solid goalkeepers and maybe you can knock that priority back till next year.
02:36But all that does, if you do wait till next year to sign a goalkeeper, every club in World Football knows how desperate you are for a goalkeeper and then their prices, you know, increase.
02:45So, yeah, it's a real tough situation.
02:47I do have a lot of sympathy for anyone making transfer decisions, but particularly in Newcastle because, yeah, it's not an easy decision.
02:53Anything you do now has a knock-on impact in 12 months' time and, yeah, it's going to be a very interesting summer.
02:59I think they have to get rid of players.
03:01They have to get better at player trading.
03:03That's one thing that they've not done, well, for the last 10 years, 15 years, really.
03:08The need to sell players at their peak of value.
03:10And as much as it might we get any out of the squad, the money is so crucial.
03:13The need to sell players.
03:14And if that is long staff this summer, then it is a shame.
03:17But he's a player who's on the fringes of the team.
03:19There's lots of options currently in midfield and it is a deal that sort of makes sense, especially without risking losing him on a free next year.
03:27It's evident that Newcastle have had a plan in this transfer window.
03:30Yes, they've missed out on some targets, but they are very much trying to strengthen their squad ahead of what will be a long season with many games played, of course.
03:38Premier League, Champions League, plus both domestic cup competitions.
03:41So, lots still to be done in terms of work in this transfer window, but I think they are getting there, of course.
03:46They've got that first deal through the door in Anthony Alanga from Nottingham Forest.
03:50And now it's just a case of, yes, getting that striker who can either play alongside or rotate with Alexander Izak.
03:56And then looking to get a centre-half and a goalkeeper.
03:59So, Joe, thoughts again, what Newcastle should do in terms of the rest of the window?
04:06They have to strengthen the squad this summer.
04:08They've done that with Alanga.
04:09And if they can get another couple in, then they'll enter next year with a better squad.
04:13And they'll be in a much better position to attack on all fronts, because it'd be good to see them attack Europe and the Premier League and all the cup competitions.
04:21But, yes, it's a lot of risky strategy.
04:23And it's a shame we're talking about Izak selling, because you'd love Izak just to be the main man in Newcastle for 10 years or whatever, if he can continue scoring the level he is.
04:31But, yes, it's a nightmare situation for him to be in.
04:34But it's a nightmare situation because they're signing players and want to be ambitious.
04:38So, I'll take this over the last, you know, over the previous decade and a half, a million times over.
