Howe transfer activity means Wilson isn’t guaranteed a starting place

Callum Wilson recovered from a long-term calf injury before the season came to a close, scoring two goals in his final three appearances. The 30-year-old finished as Newcastle United’s top scorer this campaign with eight goals from 18 league outings, but Chris Waugh of The Athletic says his starting place in the side isn’t guaranteed next season.

Because Newcastle only had one player with more than five league goals to their name, Waugh says Eddie Howe is on hunt for a prolific striker this summer. The new striker would provide competition to Wilson but could also replace him, so the Magpies may have a fresh attack in 2022/23. His fitness woes in recent years could go against him, as Newcastle can’t be without a key player for large parts of the season.

Chris Wood was signed from Burnley in January to provide goals amid their relegation battle at the time, but he scored just twice in 17 games so it’s hard to see him leading the line next season. Dwight Gayle is surplus to requirements after barely featuring throughout the campaign too, so it makes sense why Newcastle want to bolster their frontline.

In other news, the latest on Newcastle’s pursuit of Dan Ashworth