The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Newcastle United have completed two incoming signings already.
Lewis Hall has joined on a permanent deal from Chelsea after his initial loan spell and Lloyd Kelly has agreed to join on a free transfer from Bournemouth, once his contract with the Cherries expires at the end of this month.
Eddie Howe and his team now have around two months left to complete any more business that they would like to do to bolster the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Newcastle will not be competing in any European competitions next season and, as a result, may want to carry a smaller squad to concentrate on the Premier League.
Despite that, the Magpies must opt to replace centre-forward Callum Wilson if they decide to cash in on him before the end of the summer transfer window.
The club have already been linked with moves for Serhou Guirassy and Dominic Calvert-Lewin this month but they are now reportedly eyeing one of the stars of the 2024 Euros.
Newcastle eyeing up Euros sensation
According to Football Insider, the Magpies are considering a swoop to sign FC Metz centre-forward Georges Mikautadze to bolster their frontline.
The report claims that Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, Napoli, Lyon, and Monaco are among a clutch of clubs interested in snapping up the Georgia international this summer.
Metz only just signed the striker on a permanent deal after he had spent the second half of last term on loan from Dutch giants Ajax, but they are prepared to instantly cash in on him.
Football Insider reveals that the Ligue 2 outfit are willing to sell the impressive marksman for a fee of around £21m, after they were relegated from Ligue 1 at the end of last season.
Newcastle may need to move quickly to beat off competition from other teams, though, as Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Monaco's pursuit of the forward.
The Italian journalist claims that the Ligue 1 side have agreed personal terms with the young star and have sent an offer in with the hope of agreeing a deal with his club, as they would like to wrap up a move before the end of the Euros this summer.
Howe and his staff must now swoop in to get a deal over the line before Monaco can sign him as he could come in as an upgrade on Wilson for the Magpies ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Callum Wilson's uncertain future at Newcastle
TEAMtalk recently reported that the club are 'keen' to sell Wilson as they are 'under pressure' to generate funds this summer for financial reasons.
The outlet claimed that teams from England, Germany, and Saudi Arabia are all interested in a possible deal to sign the England international.
It stated that they hope to rake in a 'decent' fee for his services, although it remains to be seen exactly what that means, and that Howe is prepared to allow him to leave.
TEAMtalk added that the Magpies have already had preliminary discussions with teams, including some from the Saudi Pro League, but nothing has been agreed as of yet.
Moving him on this summer could be a shrewd decision due to his contract situation and his unreliable fitness record during his time at St. James' Park.
He only has one year left to run on his current deal on Tyneside and this window could be their last chance to recoup some money for him, rather than allowing the striker to leave for nothing next year.
2020/21
4
18
2021/22
2
30
2022/23
2
9
2023/24
5
28
As you can see in the table above, Wilson has also missed 18 or more matches in all competitions in three of his four seasons at Newcastle since his move from Bournemouth in 2020.
The 32-year-old striker was absent with hamstring, calf, and chest injuries during the 2023/24 campaign, which caused him to miss 28 games, which limited the impact he could have on the pitch for Howe.
Given his age, consistent injury issues, and contract situation, this appears to be the perfect time for Newcastle to sell Wilson, and Mikautadze could come in as an upgrade on the former Cherries star next season.
Why Newcastle should sign Georges Mikautadze
Firstly, the 23-year-old marksman is currently flying at the European Championship in Germany with Georgia, which means that he would arrive at St. James' Park on a high.
The Euros sensation has scored three goals from 2.26 xG and created two 'big chances' for his teammates, to go along with 1.7 key passes per game, in just three appearances in the tournament so far.
His impressive start to the competition is not a flash in the pan for the Georgian ace, however, as he was also on fire in Ligue 1 for Metz this year, after the Magpies target had only played six Eredivisie games for Ajax during the first half of the campaign.
Appearances
20
20
xG
9.54
8.87
Goals
13
9
xG differential
+4.46
+0.13
Assists
4
1
Key passes per game
1.1
0.4
As you can see in the table above, Mikautadze outperformed Wilson in the final third with significantly better finishing and far more creativity for his teammates, as he scored over four more than expected based on xG.
The £21m-rated star also completed 2.1 dribbles per game in Ligue 1, compared to the Englishman's 0.7 in the Premier League, and this suggests that his ability to beat defenders in transition or to open up space in a low block could be very useful to Newcastle.
Mikautadze, who was once dubbed "deadly" by manager Laszlo Bolini, also fired in a staggering 23 goals in 35 starts in Ligue 2 during the 2022/23 campaign, which shows that the forward has consistently scored goals at an impressive rate over a significant period of time.
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The Georgia international appears to have the quality, as a finisher, creator, and dribbler, to be an upgrade on Wilson for Newcastle, whilst also having the potential to develop further at the age of 23, and that is why Howe must swoop to sign him this summer.