Newcastle United have been reliant on striker Callum Wilson to be their go-to man for goals in the Premier League over the last two seasons.
The English striker was the club’s top goalscorer in the 2021/22 campaign with eight strikes in the league, three more than any other player in the squad.
This came after he found the back of the net 12 times in his debut season with the Magpies after signing from Bournemouth in the summer of 2020. No other Toon player hit double figures for goals that term, with Joe Willock (eight) being the only other attacker with more than four to their name.
Dan Ashworth has moved to bolster Eddie Howe’s firepower this season by bringing in Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for a fee in the region of £60m.
The Swedish international has scored one goal in his first two Premier League matches and could overtake Wilson as the first-choice option in that position, given the money spent on him and his fast start to life in England.
However, the Englishman could still play an important role in the squad as competition for Isak. He could also play alongside the former La Liga man if Howe opts for a change in formation to play with two strikers.
The ex-Cherries predator will only have one year left on his contract at the end of this season and will be 31, which could signal a changing of the guard if the club decide to ease him out of St. James’ Park.
He has missed 41 matches through injury in all competitions since joining the Magpies and they may look to bring in a more reliable player to support Isak in future seasons.
However, instead of dipping into the market to find one, Howe could find the heir to Wilson’s position in the squad by unearthing academy striker Michael Ndiweni.
Is Ndiweni a future star for Newcastle?
Yes
No
The 18-year-old, who has been dubbed “really impressive” by journalist Matty Hewitt in the past, has been promoted to the U23s this season after catching the eye with the U18s over the last two campaigns.
Ndiweni scored 18 goals in 31 games for the U18s and has scored once in three Premier League 2 outings since making the step up this term.
The young forward has racked up 20 goals in 38 matches in all competitions for Newcastle’s youth teams – a goal every 1.9 games – and has shown promise as a goalscorer.
He may have the potential to develop into a viable first-team option for the Magpies if he can continue to score goals on a regular basis now that he is one step away from the senior squad.
It is now down to him to knuckle down and put in strong performances throughout 2022/23 to prove to Howe that he is ready to replace Wilson in the squad for the 2023/23 season. Or, he could perform well enough to earn a loan move to bolster his experience before succeeding the Toon number nine in a future campaign.
