Saudi Pro League clubs are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Newcastle United’s veteran goalscorer Callum Wilson in the January transfer window.
According to a report by Fichajes, the PIF-owned Saudi Pro League clubs are planning to raid the Premier League clubs for prominent stars once again in the upcoming January transfer window, with prolific Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson on their three-man wish list.
Wilson, who has been Newcastles top scorer for the past three seasons, joined the Magpies from Bournemouth for about £20 million in September 2020 and has been a reliable source of goals at St. James’ Park ever since.
His robust and clutch poacher presence up front has made him a fan favourite, and his statistics speak for themselves. He has bagged 40 goals in 79 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, including an impressive tally of 18 goals last season as he played a pivotal role in catapulting the club to a remarkable fourth-place finish, securing their Champions League ticket.
His goalscoring exploits have etched his name in Newcastle’s history books of the club’s coveted scorers, as he now stands fifth on the club’s all-time Premier League scoring chart, only seven goals behind Peter Beardsley, who holds second place.
The 31-year-old entered the final year of his previous deal on Tyneside last summer but agreed to a one-year extension that ties him to St. James’ Park until the summer of 2025. However, it appears Wilson has been identified as someone else who could move to the Saudi Pro League in January as they continue to show interest in landing Premier League stars.
Several top talents have moved to the Middle East this year, including Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle United themselves. While they are interested in the services of Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne, signing either of them won’t be easy. But there are a few other players that Saudi clubs could target, and Wilson is one of them.
The Saudi interest in Wilson rings alarm bells for the Magpies, as a potential departure would leave them shorthanded in a key area of the pitch. Needless to say, finding a suitable striker replacement in the probably heavily-inflated January transfer market would be very difficult.
Not only is the former Bournemouth hitman a reliable source of goals. But he has remained a popular choice for manager Eddie Howe and has also established himself as a dressing room figurehead at St. James’ Park, being in Eddie Howe’s leadership group on Tyneside.
Wilson’s own stance on a move to Saudi Arabia remains to be seen in the coming months. But the lucrative money on offer could be difficult to turn down. Still, Newcastle United should rebuff any offers on the table for Wilson, at least until the end of the season, given they are still fighting on all four fronts this season.
