Imagine him & Gordon: Newcastle could form 'exciting duo' with £30m signing

Newcastle United have enjoyed a wonderful run of form over the festive season which has seen them secure five Premier League wins in a row, following Saturday’s 2-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur.

Eddie Howe appears to have finally brought out the best of his squad after a mixed start and he will now be turning towards the January transfer window to perhaps add some strength in depth, especially from an attacking standpoint.

Alexander Isak has been in excellent form of late, scoring in each of the Magpies’ last seven league games at the time of writing, pushing them up the table.

If he suffers a serious injury, however, this could derail their bid for a top-four finish and with it, a spot in the Champions League group stages.

It isn’t just the Swede who is making a difference in the final third either, as Anthony Gordon has also taken the next step in his development this term, emerging as a key player under Howe.

Anthony Gordon’s season in numbers

Across 23 games in all competitions for the Toon this season, the Englishman has scored five times while chipping in with five assists. Although playing predominantly on the left wing, Gordon has been tasked with filling in on the opposite flank as well as playing through the middle on a couple of occasions.

He is at his best on the left, registering seven of his goal contributions from that position and this is where he can make the biggest difference during matches.

In the top flight, the former Everton starlet has created five big chances, averaging 2.3 key passes and 1.2 successful dribbles per game, tearing defences apart in the process.

Additionally, when compared to his peers in the top flight, Gordon ranks in the top 1% for crosses into the penalty area (0.94) and in the top 5% for key passes (2.57) per 90, yet further evidence of his talents and how impressive he has been in the final third.

While Howe can call on Gordon to provide a key attacking threat on the left wing, the right flank has proved to be more problematic this season as several players have operated there.

With the winter transfer window now in full flow, could he perhaps solve this problem by making a swoop for a player who is currently starring for his current side in the top flight?

Newcastle transfer news

According to a report from the Daily Mail earlier this week, Newcastle are keen on a move to sign Southampton winger Tyler Dibling this month in a bid to improve their attacking options.

The report claims that the teenager came close to moving to St James’ Park in 2022 before ending up at Chelsea. He left the Blues after a few months to make the move to the south coast and hasn’t looked back since.

In December, Football Insider stated that the Saints would consider offers of between £20m-£30m for their prized asset, seemingly resigned to losing him sooner rather than later.

Judging by his talent and potential to improve further, £30m sounds like an absolute steal and this should surely tempt Howe into making a move for the youngster this month.

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If he does seal a permanent deal for Dibling, then he and Gordon could form a wonderful attacking duo over the next few years.

Tyler Dibling’s season in numbers

This sentiment was shared by analyst Ben Mattinson when discussing Dibling’s future in the game on X, saying:

“The line of clubs queueing up to sign Tyler Dibling is growing each game. I’d personally love him at Newcastle, Gordon & Dibling would be an exciting winger duo.”

The aforementioned Gordon has shone for the Toon this season out wide on the left, but for Southampton, Dibling has also been impressive.

In 22 matches for his club, the 18-year-old has scored two goals along with providing two assists in all competitions. The Saints are rock bottom of the Premier League and looked destined for a return to the Championship, but in Dibling, they have a player who can make things happen.

Although his side are struggling majorly, Dibling has still managed to create two big chances along with averaging 1.1 shots per game and succeeding with 1.3 dribbles per game in the top flight this term.

Despite his tender years, the former Chelsea talent also contributes effectively from a defensive viewpoint. Not only does he win 4.5 total duels per game, but the winger has averaged 1.1 tackles and recovers 2.5 balls per game in the Premier League.

These qualities would work well in Howe’s side, especially with Gordon on the opposite flank leading the attacking charge during games. He is certainly a player that Dibling can learn a lot from.

When compared to his positional peers in the Premier League, the Saints’ youngster ranks in the top 16% for carries into the final third (2.5), in the top 4% for fouls drawn (2.92) and in the top 12% for take-ons attempted (5.59) per 90.

These statistics offer plenty of evidence of just how important he is to Southampton’s chances of remaining in the top flight, as he is always on the lookout to push into the final third and is a menace for opposition defences up and down the country.

He shouldn’t be fazed by making a move to a club like Newcastle, especially considering how well he has performed this season. It looks like the youngster is ready to take that next step in his development, which would see Dibling improve even more.

Just imagine an attacking trio of Isak, Gordon and Dibling. These three could spearhead the club’s charge during the second half of the season, which sees them return to the top four after missing out last season.

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