Newcastle United have gone through lots of changes since the Saudi PIF took over in October 2021. They have spent millions of pounds, £379.6m to be exact, according to Football Transfers, and have been transformed into a side in European contention by manager Eddie Howe.
Under Howe, they have made some major signings, which include Alexander Isak for £60m from Real Sociedad, Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon for £40m, and Anthony Gordon from Premier League rivals Everton for £45m.
Howe’s achievements in getting his side to a Carabao Cup final, which they lost against Manchester United, and getting Newcastle into the Champions League for the first time in 20 years are two of his best during his time at the club.
However, the 2023/24 season has not gone to plan for the Magpies. Newcastle crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage, are 13 points off the top four in the Premier League this season, and seem unlikely to qualify for the competition again this season.
With that being the case, there are a few whispers of Newcastle potentially looking to bring in a new manager next season. One of the names on their rumoured shortlist is an old Premier League manager, whose most recent club was Lazio.
Newcastle’s manager target
The manager in question here is former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who left Lazio on 13 March this year. He has also spent time as Juventus manager since leaving Stamford Bridge and is now a rumoured target for Newcastle.
According to a report from Italian outlet Il Messaggero earlier this week, Sarri’s agent Frank Trimboli has 'brought him offers' from Newcastle, although he has not responded to that. The report then goes on to say that West Ham United are also interested in appointing Sarri at the end of the season.
Sarri did not achieve any domestic success with Chelsea but did win the Europa League in 2018/19, beating Arsenal 4-1 in the final at the Baku National Stadium. However, Sarri is said to 'regret it when he left Chelsea', as per the report, intending to return to England, and perhaps take over at Newcastle if the rumours are to be believed.
How Sarri could benefit Newcastle
Sarri could well be the manager to take over from Howe and take Newcastle to the next level. Back in 2017 in an interview with Goal.com, legendary manager Arrigo Sacchi hailed Sarri’s famed 4-3-3 system because it “produces spectacular football”.
The main principle of Sarri’s football is to play a possession-based yet attacking style of play, with the 'regista' – or midfield controller – the key player to the entire system. At Chelsea, the midfielder asked to play as a regista under Sarri was Jorginho. The Italian was superb when pulling the strings of his side in possession from a deeper role, screening the back four whilst out of possession.
At Newcastle, this could be a role Bruno Guimaraes operates in, and although this could limit the time he spends in the final third, it is one he would perform to a tee. According to Fbref, his 7.50 progressive passes per 90 minutes ranks him in the top 9%, something that would be vital should he act as a regista under Sarri.
Sarri also likes his teams to be explosive in attack on the left-hand side, which is where the likes of Gordon could thrive. At Chelsea, Eden Hazard was the man with that responsibility, able to drive into the penalty box and have the support of an overlapping fullback. Gordon’s pace and ability to dribble in tight areas could work well in this instance, and Tino Livramento or Lewis Hall playing at left-back would be an excellent option to pair with him.
Should they appoint Sarri, Newcastle might have to recruit at centre-back. One issue with Sarri-ball is the fact that there can be lots of space behind the defence, and his side can be liable to being caught in transition. Newcastle might have to sign more athletic defensive options to ensure they are better set to prevent counterattacks.
Should Newcastle decide to appoint Sarri, they certainly have some profiles who would fit his system well. Perhaps he can be the manager who will help them kick on and begin to push for major honours.
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