Newcastle United transfer warning issued as club face key decision on 46-goal striker

Callum Wilson’s long-term future at Newcastle United is uncertain.

The 32-year-old has just over a year left on his contract and was subject to some transfer interest in January. Since then, Wilson has suffered an injury blow that has kept him out of the team for the past two months.

While he is set to return from injury this week, Wilson’s age, injury record and contract situation raise plenty of questions about whether Newcastle should look to cash in this summer. Wilson has scored 46 goals in 104 appearances since signing for Newcastle from AFC Bournemouth for £20million in 2020, he brings undoubted goalscoring quality to the side when fit.

Even this season, Wilson boasts one of the best goal-to-minute ratios in the Premier League with seven goals in just eight starts - averaging a goal every 122 minutes on the pitch.

Finding a replacement who matches Wilson’s goal return would require a significant cost, something that isn’t lost on head coach Eddie Howe.

“It's undoubted how I feel about Callum, how I feel about his qualities and what he can offer the team,” Howe said. “If you lose a player of that quality, to then find a player of equal standard will cost the club a lot of money.

“That's always the big talking point about any business we do in the summer. If you lose a player, how can you replace him with the same quality with Financial Fair Play implications around the corner? There's a lot to think about." When asked if Wilson has a point to prove between now and the end of the season, Howe added: “I think every player has a point to prove every time they pull the Newcastle shirt on.

“I don’t think Callum Wilson necessarily has a point to prove in terms of his ability and what he can deliver, that’s undoubted. We would like him to stay fit for a prolonged period of time and to be able to execute that on a consistent basis.

“So, there is sort of a double-edged meaning to my answer. I want every player to have that burning desire every single game to fulfil their own ambitions and certainly Callum has very big ambitions still. He’s still a very strong player and he can make a big difference for us.”