Howe could change Newcastle’s formation by signing £52m Dan Burn rival

Since Eddie Howe arrived at Newcastle United two years ago, the club have gone from strength to strength, aided by a newfound wealth funded by the PIF.

The Magpies went from being a team struggling to survive in the Premier League to one battling among Europe’s elite in the Champions League within a matter of 18 months. However, Newcastle have begun to suffer their first real blip under Howe which will be a real test for the board’s faith in the head coach.

The Geordie outfit have suffered five defeats in six games in all competitions and find themselves seven points off top four.

Nevertheless, Howe is already eyeing up potential recruits in January to ease the side’s woes on the pitch.

Newcastle United transfer news – Goncalo Inacio

According to a new report from Portuguese outlet Record, Newcastle United are leading the race for Sporting Clube de Portugal defender Goncalo Inacio and are best-positioned to sign the centre-back in January.

The outlet are also claiming that Newcastle have scouted the player frequently throughout the past year and that Sporting have accepted they could lose the 22-year-old this winter.

It was reported during the summer transfer window that the Magpies were keen to make a move for Inacio and were preparing to activate his £39m release clause, but a move never came to fruition. However, the centre-half has since signed a new deal with Sporting and his buyout clause has now risen to £52m.

Howe may be wishing Newcastle pulled the trigger on a move for Inacio as his side have been riddled with injuries this season and even lost club captain Jamaal Lascelles on Saturday during the 1-0 defeat away at Luton Town. The team now have ten players unavailable, including nine through injury.

Nevertheless, Inacio could help alleviate the club’s injury woes and defensive issues on the pitch and could even offer Howe a change of formation.

How Goncalo Inacio would fit into Newcastle’s system

In the 2022 summer window, Newcastle completed the signing of Sven Botman for a reported £35m from French outfit Lille. The Dutchman has recently returned to the side, following three months on the sidelines.

Botman was integral for Newcastle’s fourth-place finish last season, having played 44 times in all competitions under Howe and was a mainstay in the starting lineup before a knee injury in September derailed his form. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp even described Botman as a “real leader of men” for some of his displays in a Newcastle shirt.

Given how important he is at St. James’ Park, Inacio won’t be Botman’s replacement despite both men being left-footed. However, he could become Dan Burn’s permanent successor in the team. Burn, having just recovered from a back injury, is now on the wrong side of 30 and Howe may be eyeing Inacio to take his place in the team in the long run.

In fact, Inacio has statistically outperformed Burn in a number of key metrics this term and has even been described as a “sensation” by football scout Jacek Kulig.

In his 79 matches as a Newcastle player, Burn has played 55 times at left-back. In 95 appearances for Sporting so far in his career, Inacio has never played in that position, meaning his arrival on Tyneside could potentially trigger Howe to switch from his preferred 4-3-3 formation by deploying a back three.

Newcastle already use a back three but only in possession. A permanent switch to either a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3 offers an extra man defensively and could diminish the fullbacks’ defensive responsibilities as the shape would revert to a back five out of possession.

Across their recent five defeats, Howe’s side have conceded 11 goals, more than two a game on average. The last time Howe used a five-man defensive line was during his Bournemouth days, particularly against the league’s best opposition but this could be a saviour for the Geordie club over the coming weeks, with matches against Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa on the near horizon.