da poker： Newcastle United have suffered on the injury front this season, and Eddie Howe is battling to keep his team together after a slew of injuries have threatened recent progress.

da doce： While hopes of retaining the Carabao Cup dangle by a thread after Manchester City’s 2-0 win at St. James’ Park in the first leg of their semi-final tie, the Magpies have won three on the bounce in the Premier League and meet bottom-of-the-table Wolves on Sunday afternoon.

PSR restrictions are proving prohibitive, but Howe and technical director Ross Wilson are in concert that there is money to spend, United will spend.

The injury-hit defence will take precedence, for sure, but recent developments could force Newcastle to dip into the market and sign a wide forward.

Why Newcastle could sign a forward

It would be fair to say that Newcastle have lost some of their sparkle in attack this season, with Alexander Isak sold to Liverpool and the frontline as a whole flattering to deceive.

Anthony Elanga has been the biggest culprit, but a lot has been left to be desired by the unit as a whole, with Anthony Gordon poor once again despite standing as a senior, top-class England international.

Newcastle’s Frontline in 25/26 (Premier League)

Player

Apps

Goals + Assists

Nick Woltemade

18

7 + 2

Harvey Barnes

20

5 + 0

Anthony Gordon

16

2 + 1

Yoane Wissa

7

1 + 0

William Osula

10

1 + 0

Anthony Elanga

17

0 + 1

Data via Transfermarkt

With Arsenal having recently registered their interest in the 24-year-old winger, Newcastle might need to find a new up-and-coming talent to rival Harvey Barnes and co.

And following reports from earlier in January, Wolverhampton Wanderers prospect Mateus Mane could be the man to do it, having starred for the imperilled Old Gold since breaking into the team over the past few months.

Though Wolves will want to keep Mane, 18, until at least the end of the season, Arsenal’s interest in Gordon could accelerate things, and by bringing Mane to St. James’ Park, Howe might actually score himself an upgrade.

Why Mane could replace Gordon at Newcastle

Of course, Mane is not as refined or as polished as Gordon, who has gone from strength to strength at Newcastle since joining from Everton in a £45m deal in January 2023.

But sometimes, you can just tell. Barnes’ prolific form on Tyneside suggests that Mane could join the crew and develop into a superstar, already hailed for his “special” quality by former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, well before his professional debut.

With two goals and two assists in the English top flight this year, Mane already boasts a brighter return than Gordon, who might have been deservedly crowned the team’s Player of the Year in 2023/24, but fell by the wayside last season and has failed to pick himself back up since the summer.

Wolves’ big win over West Ham earlier in January saw Mane born as one of the division’s most exciting teenagers, and after the game, he said that he’s “not scared of anything”, denoting a fearlessness that Howe would only be too happy to welcome into his fold.

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Given that he has started each of his side’s past four league outings under Rob Edwards’ wing, it’s fair to say that he could make a difference for Howe’s struggling side, with his blistering speed on the transition something that would see him dovetail into Newcastle’s quick-break approach.

He will need several years yet before he reaches somewhere close to his full potential, but Newcastle have shown a real aptitude in developing up-and-comers, and with Gordon having regressed for a while now, this could be one to keep an eye on as Howe searches for ways back into the ascendancy.

Mane may be young, but he’s played against a churning current with such confidence and maturity this season, and his blistering speed and natural eye for goal could be channelled into something special at Newcastle.

Given that Gordon would fetch a staggering sum, were he to be sold, this could end up being one that Magpie fans look back on fondly.

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