Newcastle United kicked off their pre-season tour in Austria on Friday with a comfortable 3-0 win over TSV Munich 1860 with goals from midfielders Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes with the Geordie from North Shields raking in the pick of three second half strikes after a goalless first half:

Yet Newcastle struggled to penetrate in a frustrating first 45 minutes and there were hearts-in-mouths moments in the game as both of Newcastle's main attacking stars Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin went down after being on the end of clattering tackles that was a stark reminder of the fragility of The Magpies' attacking potency.

Wilson's return to the match fitness level required to start Premier League games coincided with Newcastle's best performance of the season - the 2-0 win over Arsenal at St. James' Park that brought the curtain down on an excellent second half of the season and a seventh win in nine games in front of home fans - but was the only victory against a Top 6 side & wouldn't have happened without the England international's superb display that reminded people what a top class striker he is when fit.

Therein lies the problem, Wilson missed 20 of Newcastle's 38 Premier League games through injury last season after bowing out of the Man United game after Christmas and missed 12 of the 38 Premier League games the season before and has suffered from serious injuries throughout his career.

Allan Saint-Maximin only missed three Premier League games last season but the season before missed 12 games due to Covid and 13 with a hamstring injury in 2019/20 and like Wilson, his absence is always acutely obvious to a team for which he carries the ball forward and creates so much:

If Newcastle want to have a serious tilt in both domestic Cup competitions and push for a European place in The Premier League then like-for-like replacements for both Callum Wilson's goal threat and Allan Saint-Maximin's dribbling ability must be added to the squad to cover for all eventualities - injuries, suspensions, Cup runs as well as having quality options to come off the bench at all times - without disturbing the game play and pattern of the team that Eddie Howe is attempting to create at St James' Park:

Here are some potential alternatives to both of Newcastle's key attacking men.

  1. Emmanuel Dennis - Watford - £20M - 10 goals in 33 PL Games 2021/22

24 year-old Nigerian Emmanuel Dennis shot to fame in 2019 for Club Bruges scoring twice against Real Madrid at The Bernabeu in The Champions League and doing Cristiano Ronaldo's Sui celebration and terrorising Man United scoring once and giving the Red Devils defence a torrid time indicating he would be perfect for The Premier League. I blogged in the summer of 2020 that Dennis would be an ideal signing for Newcastle when he would have been available for a cut-price fee yet having proved himself in the English top flight, he'd be worth the quoted £20M transfer fee.

Former boss Claudio Ranieri praised the ability and versatility of Dennis and said he could easily play for a bigger team:

"I love this kind of player [who can play on either wing or through the middle], universal players, so I can change during the match some position from him, King, Cucho… with a lot of players in front. For me that's very good.
"I think he could play for these big teams. He must continue to improve and I speak a lot with him. I'm sure at the end of the season he can go into the big teams."

2. Maxwel Cornet - Burnley - £17.5M - 9 Goals in 26 PL Games 2021/22

25 year-old Ivory Coast winger-cum-forward Maxwell Cornet is another player whose peformances in The Champions League shot him to prominence especially his goalscoring exploits against Man City, scoring 4 times in 3 games against The Cityzens for Lyon before making the switch to Burnley last season where he adapted instantly to life in The Premier League scoring 9 times.

Sean Dyche played him in a more advanced position essentially as a striker especially after Chris Wood was poached by The Magpies in January but he started life as a winger, is an accomplished wing-back and with an ability to win and score penalties and free-kicks, could prove an invaluable, versatile asset to Eddie Howe next season.

3. Ivan Toney - Brentford - £30M - 12 Premier League Goals In 33 Games 2021/22

The former Newcastle man who never got a chance at St James' Park as a young player has been a revelation since leaving The Magpies and proved his Premier League worth last season scoring 12 goals in his first top flight season and won rave reviews with his all-round performances and 100% record from the penalty spot.

He's another man I recommended Newcastle sign in the summer of 2020 when the fee would have been £10M when he was at Peterborough but even at £30M it would be less of a gamble now having showed he can do it when it matters and where - he scored the first goal Eddie Howe's Newcastle conceded in that first home game at St James' Park, the 3-3 draw that earmarked a new era on Tyneside.

At 26 his best years are ahead of him and he will go from strength to strength.

4.. Gabriel 'Gabigol' Barbosa - Flamengo - £25M 5 goals in 15 Serie A Games 2022

The Brazilian goal machine has always had a huge reputation since emerging as a precocious young player with Santos but after failed moves to Inter and Benfica in Europe, he has rediscovered his goalscoring touch and confidence and is dreaming of a move to The Premier League:

"I always liked watching the Premier League. In the beginning it was difficult to see many games, because of the TV, but I always liked it.
"I also played a lot of PlayStation with English teams and that made me like it even more. I always saw the goals of Thierry Henry - I thought he was a very powerful, strong and intelligent striker.
"Didier Drogba I liked a lot too. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney at Manchester United. It's a Championship where the best in the world play.
"I still watch it now. I really like Pep Guardiola’s style at Manchester City, Chelsea managed to form a great team with Thomas Tuchel's hands.
"Liverpool have a very interesting team and a fantastic coach. Tottenham is a mega team and I really enjoyed the West Ham season. I'm a big fan of Premier League football."

Would Brazil compatriots Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes be able to help him settle abroad better than in the past at a revitalised Newcastle United?

If so, Newcastle would have a hell of a player on their hands, whose 124 goals in 186 games have fired Flamengo to 9 trophies including the Copa Libertadores and he has also scored 5 goals in 18 games for the Brazil national team.

5. Adama Traore - Wolves - £10M

26 year-old Spanish winger Adama Traore is one of the few players who can give Allan Saint-Maximin a run for his money in the dribbling statistics so would be an ideal accompaniment to Newcastle's French winger.

Like Saint-Maximin, Traore's end product is sometimes called into question with him assisting only 4 goals last season and scoring just once in The Premier League for Wolves before going to Barcelona on loan yet that could all change in a more attacking set-up with better strikers to pass to, as The Saint alluded to in an interview last year.

For £10M, Traore would be a bargain signing with Premier League experience who would inject more pace and power into Newcastle's attack & provide options & cover.

6. Josef Martinez - Atlanta United - £25M - 5 goals in 12 MLS Games 2022

Venezuelan goal machine Josef Martinez has scored 107 goals in 144 games including many alongside Newcastle's current winger Miguel Almiron for Atalanta although has never set the world alight for his country and suffered a serious injury in July 2020.

Newcastle United announced the appointment of Darren Eales as the club's new CEO who is a known big admirer of Martinez's so stranger things have certainly happened.