For the club to make these five Newcastle United signings this summer it wouldn’t be cheap | OneFootball

Not long to go now, before the Premier league resumes and we can all get back to normal.

It has been a fortnight since United beat Liverpool and lifted the Carabao Cup.

While I do look to see how Wales get on and whether or not Newcastle United players are representing their countries, I tend to largely give international football pretty much a miss when it comes to friendlies and qualifiers.

On a personal note though, I was happy to see Dan Burn get his cap for England. What a time for the big man from Blyth. Big goal in the Carabao Cup Final, cup winner and man of the match, a legend for Newcastle United and an England international, all in less than a week. I couldn’t be happier for him.

Anyway, about this getting back to normal.

When it comes to where I think Newcastle United will finish in the Premier League, my prediction is fifth.

With Arsenal, Forest and Manchester City to join Liverpool in ending up above NUFC.

If we did end up missing out on Champions League, instead the Europa league or even with the Conference (which Newcastle United are guaranteed as a minimum), then I would be happy enough.

I put trophies above some status as a Champions League club.

I understand both sides of what people may prioritise, what the Newcastle United owners would prefer , but I’m not part of the NUFC ownership at the end of the day.

I simply want more days like a fortnight ago when we beat Liverpool and lifted that cup.

A Conference or a Europa League trophy would do me fine and I would take it now over just playing in the Champions League for the extra revenue.

Personally though, my dream is that I would love to see the club win the FA Cup next season. That would do me!

I have no idea which players will come and go in the summer, but I’d like see younger legs in the defence, a new goalkeeper to replace Nick Pope and Martin Dubrakva for the long-term.

I think we need to replace Callum Wilson, he has been excellent overall for the club but there’s no room for sentimentality and it’s just not realistic to rely on him moving forward, to step up to play enough football to take some of the strain off Alexander Isak. We simply need to address that, along with the defence.

We need another right winger too. As good as Jacob Murphy has been for Eddie Howe, with Miguel Almiron leaving in January there is no natural back up on that side of the pitch. Sure we have players who can play there like Gordon, Barnes, Joelinton, potentially Will Osula, but Gordon and Barnes in particular are simply not the same players on the right hand side.

I do though also appreciate that buying two defenders, a goalkeeper, a right winger and a striker, will cost a considerable amount of money, then selling a few players would still leave the squad a bit short anyways, to compete on four fronts.

We need young signings of recent years who are currently in the younger age groups to come through for the first team, plus more local lads, the Lewis Mileys, Elliot Andersons and Sean Longstaffs etc to come through as well.

It is just not practical to spend big money on a readymade player every time we need to upgrade a position in the Newcastle United squad.

I am looking forward to next season as we will be back in Europe in some format, one way or the other, plus I do expect a few new faces.