Summary Newcastle could make an exciting signing to make Alexander Isak even better. They'd represent an attacking upgrade on Dan Burn. They play for one of the top clubs in the Premier League.
With the tumultuous rumblings of the transfer window occurring all around high-fliers Newcastle United, Eddie Howe will be delighted that his Premier League outfit have been swift and incisive this summer.
Who are Newcastle going to sign?
It's a credit to Newcastle's transfer strategy and technical director Dan Ashworth's diligence that Howe has recently claimed that he would "love" one more signing.
Effectively, the 45-year-old gaffer is alluding to the fact that the club's business has been conducted efficiently and anything more this month would be a welcome bonus, with Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento all bolstering the first-team ranks.
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The Daily Mail's Craig Hope has claimed that Newcastle need to be 'creative' to make their final move to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, and as such could swoop for Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, with the Telegraph's Luke Edwards revealing that the Spaniard could arrive on loan.
How good is Marc Cucurella?
Aside from the obvious fact that Cucurella would bring added depth to Newcastle's side as they target success across four competitions this season, having returned to the Champions League after two decades away, the 25-year-old could play to the strengths of Alexander Isak.
Isak signed for the St. James' Park team for a club-record £63m from Real Sociedad last summer and plundered ten goals from just 17 Premier League starts during an injury-hit maiden year on English soil, but opened his account with aplomb this season by netting twice in a 5-1 drubbing over Aston Villa, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink saying "you can't teach" the innate striking instinct he possesses.
The £120k-per-week Swede is lightning-quick and fleet-footed, ranking among the top 13% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, highlighting his progressive presence and prowess with the ball at his feet.
It is because of this skill set that Isak has often been placed out wide for the Tyneside team, playing five of the last seven top-flight matches on the left wing to accommodate Callum Wilson in the central striking role, with the 31-year-old England international's prolificness last term giving Howe a selection headache, which, albeit, is not the worst quandary in the world.
Isak failed to score across those five matches but did look dangerous and left football fans waxing lyrical in their droves after a magical solo run produced a fine goal; while he was not officially credited with an assist due to a slight deflection, the 40-cap star drew comparisons to Thierry Henry for the feat.
With Wilson scoring 18 goals from just 21 starts last season, should Isak find a home on the left flank again, his craft will be enhanced by Cucurella, who offers a very different skill set to that of Dan Burn.
Cucurella's £60m transfer to west London hasn't worked out after such stellar displays with Brighton & Hove Albion the season prior, where he earned an average Sofascore rating of 7.11 as he completed 82% of his passes, averaging 1.2 key passes per game and plundered one goal and assist apiece.
The direct contribution is hardly groundbreaking stuff, but it's a far cry better than Burn's offensive output, with the 6 foot 6 titan ranking among the top 5% of full-backs for clearances per 90 but only among the bottom 43% for passes attempted – also averaging just 0.4 key passes per game last season – keeping it conservative and simple.
Hailed as "outstanding" by one football consultant, Cucurella, comparatively, ranks among the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 30% for progressive passes and the top 2% for tackles per 90, and his ball-playing ability could work a treat for Howe's side and indeed Isak, who would no doubt benefit from a more attacking full-back.
The £175k-per-week gem, while not in good form last year, exhibited his passing prowess and could notch his metrics up a level with a move to Newcastle, providing Isak with supplementation upon his forays out wide and increasing the dynamism and multi-dimensional approach of this thriving English outfit.
