da aposte e ganhe： Halloween may have passed but Newcastle United are still being haunted by their injury problems with a whopping 12 players sidelined, including star players Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes.
da prosport bet： In their 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday, the lack of quality in their squad was prevalent as Eddie Howe was forced into playing 17-year-old Lewis Miley in central midfield while Matt Ritchie came on to replace the injured Miguel Almiron to make his first appearance of the season.
With an abundance of attacking talent stuck on the injury table, the January transfer window can't come quick enough for the Magpies as they attempt to acquire a few quality additions that can aid them in their quest for a top-four challenge.
Despite scoring the joint-third most goals in the Premier League – 27 in 12 matches – Howe is still looking to bolster his attack and could land a sensational prospect who is plying his trade in Spain.
Newcastle transfer news – Nico Williams
Newcastle have been chasing Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams for quite some time now but face stiff competition from other European giants.
In September, Spanish outlet SPORT [via Sport Witness] reported that the 21-year-old was a priority target for Barcelona and was 'everything they are looking for' in a player.
However, the report also highlighted that the Magpies are one of the English sides 'following the player closely' alongside Premier League rivals Liverpool and Aston Villa.
According to a more recent update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, William's agent has revealed they are "still waiting" for progression in negotiations over a new contract, which expires in June 2024 – meaning Newcastle, and other suitors, could negotiate a pre-contract deal with the Spanish prodigy once the January transfer window opens.
Much like Anthony Gordon, who has scored four goals in 11 appearances this term, Williams is predominantly a right-footed left winger, who thrives at gliding past the opposition with his searing pace and precise dribbling.
If Newcastle were to successfully agree on a pre-contract agreement in January, he would provide the Englishman with some quality competition on the left flank.
How Nico Williams compares to Anthony Gordon
Williams is quickly turning into one of the most sought-after players in Europe and comparisons to Bukayo Saka, as per FBref, showcase why so many clubs are interested in securing his signature.
Statistic
Nico Williams
Bukayo Saka
Progressive carries
5.96
5.22
Successful take-ons
3.43
1.95
Carries into penalty area
2.49
2.33
Touches (Att pen)
5.61
7.30
Shot creating actions
4.33
4.79
All stats via FBref
Saka is one of the best young players in the world at manipulating the ball onto either foot and weaving past defenders with his precise dribbling but in the past year, William's has outperformed the England star across various attacking metrics, including progressive carries, successful take-ons and carries into the penalty area.
This shows that the Bilbao star is very dangerous in the attacking third with the two fundamentals of his game being his high-energy pressing and explosive ball-carrying that are readily associated with Howe's devastating counter-attack.
Indeed, the extremely dynamic and deceptively powerful Williams, who is valued at £69m (€80m) as per CIES Football Observatory, would provide the Newcastle attack with an added dimension, as demonstrated by how he ranks against the electrifying Gordon.
While the Toon star has scored more goals than the ten-cap Spain international this term ( four v one), the 5 foot 11 phenom is a "difference maker" in the final third, as lauded by Spanish teammate Rodri, having recorded more big chances created (six v five), assists (five v two), key passes (2.1 v 0.8) and balls recovered per game (4.9 v 3.8) than Gordon, as per Sofascore.
The statistics above suggest that Howe should do everything to sign the "true winger", as described by his former coach Luis Enrique, who would light up St James Park with his skill, speed and trickery.