Callum Wilson has lauded the business Newcastle United did on deadline day, telling The Footballer’s Football Podcast that he did not even think that the likes of Dan Burn and Matt Targett would be available.
The January transfer window certainly proved to be a busy one for the Magpies. Eddie Howe was able to welcome five new faces.
The likes of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes arrived ahead of the final day of the window. But the club still managed to be incredibly busy on deadline day.
Newcastle signed Dan Burn from Brighton on a permanent deal. Meanwhile, Matt Targett came in from Aston Villa on a loan deal for the rest of the season.
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It would certainly appear that Newcastle have improved their defensive options considerably. Burn has been superb throughout his time with the Seagulls.
Targett was named Aston Villa’s Players’ Player of the Season last year. And he had only fallen slightly down the pecking order following the January arrival of Lucas Digne.
They were names that many Newcastle fans would not have expected a week or so before the deadline. And Wilson has now suggested that the deals caught him off-guard.
“Deadline day I think it was the first time that I was aware that players were going to join the club and who,” he told The Footballers’ Football Podcast.
“We signed two defenders on deadline day and I didn’t even know they had an opportunity of coming to the club.”
Newcastle have certainly given themselves brilliant chance of survival with deadline day deals
It was not a perfect window for Newcastle. But clearly, the goal is to ensure that they have the best chance to remain in the Premier League.
And what they have done is improve their defence. They have secured three upgrades to the backline. And Guimaraes was the best midfielder in Ligue 1 before his arrival.
Howe’s side should now be a lot more difficult to break down. And with players such as Wilson, Chris Wood, Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Joe Willock in attacking areas, they surely have a fantastic opportunity to ensure that they remain at English football’s top table next year.
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