Newcastle: Eddie Howe unsure on Bruno Guimaraes future amid Arsenal interest
Newcastle’s midfield has been weakened by the departure of Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham this month in a deal worth £100 million.
Young midfielders Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba have since arrived from Ajax and Monaco respectively.
Although Saturday’s match came too early for Bamba, whose move was announced on Friday, Steur played the full 90 minutes.
“He played really well today,” Howe said. “He can be really pleased with his performance and making his debut in Newcastle colours.”
It is rare for an academy graduate to leave Ajax at the age of 18 for a fee of up to £23 million.
But Newcastle need to take calculated risks before potential signings like Steur explode in value and become unattainable.
Dutchman Steur clearly has promise.
Willem Weijs, who coaches Steur at the club’s reserve team Jong Ajax, described him as one of the “highest-rated” players in their academy.
There was a glimpse of Steur’s technical ability, composure and vision against National League side Gateshead.
But he will need time to adapt to the physicality and intensity of the Premier League.
“He is outstanding with his first touches and creating options when playing possession,” Weijs said.
“He’s good at screening; he’s really comfortable on the ball; he’s really good in tight spaces.
“He is a typical Dutch type of midfielder, but he should also focus on the defensive part and focus on his points.
“He needs to compete better in duels, spend more time in the gym. I know he’s working on that, but he can and needs to improve.”
Newcastle has changed its strategy this summer, targeting players aged 20 and under and those on the continent.
Steur, Bamba and fellow newcomers Ewen Jaouen and Bazoumana Toure will need to be patient.
That’s one of the many reasons why Howe, who lost Isak, Tonali and Anthony Gordon last year, desperately wants to keep Guimaraes.
“We all need to be very supportive of the players coming in,” Howe said.
“I don’t think we can put too much pressure on them. It’s part of my job to take the pressure off them and let them develop and enjoy their time here.”
