LATEST: Big Newcastle United Transfer Call Must Be Made After Injury Blow And Eddie Howe’s ‘Budget’ Honesty

Newcastle United will have been hoping their woeful injury luck of last season was a thing of the past, yet with only one week of pre-season training under their belts the Magpies are dealing with a familiar absence.

Callum Wilson, a striker who has struggled more than most with injuries during his entire career, and specifically in recent months, left Newcastle’s training camp at Adidas’ headquarters in southern Germany after suffering his latest blow. “Callum has just gone to see a back specialist just to have a little procedure on his back,” Eddie Howe told reporters on Friday.

Yet another setback for the 32-year-old will do him no favours with the St James’ Park faithful, all of whom feel fondly for him but are well aware of his availability issues. A fully-fit Wilson is an asset to any team – the only problem is you are never really confident he can go a long stretch without picking up a fresh ailment.

Clubs expressed a desire to take him away from Tyneside in both January and earlier this summer and the question will no doubt now be asked as to whether Wilson departs in the coming weeks. In turn, Howe also has a big decision to make as to how much of his summer budget is now spent on adding another central striker to his arsenal.

There is now no longer a debate that the north east outfit need another option brought in in that particular position. Wilson has a phenomenal record when it comes to returning from long periods on the sidelines and hitting the ground running in no time – but Newcastle, with their lofty ambitions of a return to Europe, need a backup to Alexander Isak who can keep himself off the treatment table.

Howe has made it clear his preference is to keep Wilson. That could very well still happen. He knows the cost of finding a prolific forward, and one who will be happy to play second-fiddle to Newcastle’s main man in Isak, will be high. This, at a time where other positions need upgrading before the summer window closes in just over one month.

The club’s transfer committee have been assessing possible targets for the right-side of Howe’s attack. Meanwhile, there is plenty of appetite to add another central defender to the ranks. Many, before Wilson’s injury, would have noted those two positions as the most important in terms of imminent, incoming recruitment.

Wilson’s fresh injury likely changes that somewhat as the need for another central option grows once again. There is always the possibility Newcastle can target, and sign, a right-winger who can also play down the middle after the success of Anthony Gordon on the opposite flank last term.

After all, Howe’s budget will only stretch so far. It was only last month the club were forced to sell young talent to fend off spending concerns – and although the PSR period has reset, there is not an unlimited amount of money to be spent.

Howe knows this and has remained consistent whenever asked about the topic of his summer war chest, continuously insisting he is unsure of how much he can actually spend this term.

“We have quite a bit to do on the outfield side of our squad,” he told Sky Sports over the weekend. “We have a hangover of injuries from last year with players still not fully training with yet. So I think we need to add players — and we hope to.

“I don’t really know that [the budget] yet, we are still in the process of working things out because there’s been a change with Paul Mitchell coming in as Sporting Director.”

Mitchell’s arrival will be a boost to Newcastle. His track record of scouting and signing players is second to none. But his job will not be an easy one, as Howe is spot on when he says the Magpies have ‘quite a bit to do’ in terms of securing incomings in the coming weeks.

A big-name right-wing option, another defensive reinforcement and a forward who can offer competition to Wilson and Isak would represent smart business, and a potential dream end to the window, between now and September. It remains to be seen whether Howe’s budget will stretch that far.