With just over half of the 2023/24 season complete, it would be fair to describe Newcastle United’s campaign as disappointing.
The Toon finished bottom of their Champions League group and are currently tenth in the Premier League, and while much of their poor form can be blamed on their enormous injury and suspension list, which has undoubtedly hamstrung them this season, there have been some dire performances as well.
However, with 17 games to go, there is still a chance that Eddie Howe can drag his team back into the European places, and the latest player touted for a move to St James’ Park could certainly help them do that while replacing Callum Wilson at the same time.
Bundesliga scoring sensation lands on Newcastle’s radar
According to a report from Football Insider at the weekend, Newcastle are among several Premier League and European clubs interested in Stuttgart’s red-hot striker Serhou Guirassy this month.
The report names Manchester United, West Ham United and AC Milan as some of the other interested parties and considering the 27-year-old has already scored 17 Bundesliga goals this campaign, it’s no surprise that he has generated such interest.
While this outside interest and competition are far from ideal for the Magpies, the £15m release clause that is reportedly inserted into the Guinean’s contract could make this a fantastic deal should they be able to tempt him to the northeast.
However, one player who might be less than thrilled with this transfer is Wilson, who could well lose his place to the Bundesliga star.
How Serhou Guirassy compares to Callum Wilson
The former Bournemouth star has been a great player for Newcastle in the three and a half seasons he has been at the club, registering ten goals or more in the previous three seasons, and with seven this year, it looks like he’ll make that four out of four.
So, why would the Toon want to replace him? Well, the first reason is availability. In the time he has been at Newcastle, the Englishman has missed 71 games for club and country, and while Guirassy has had his share of injury problems in the past, he has only missed 25 games in that same period.
The second reason is age. The former Cherries man is a month out from his 32nd birthday, whereas the “insane” Stuttgart ace, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is just 27, which, according to The Athletic, is the statistical peak for modern-day strikers.
Finally, while Wilson has scored an impressive number of goals for the Magpies, Guirassy seems to be on an entirely different level when it comes to finding the back of the net, with his manager Sebastian Hoeneß claiming he’s “putting everything away” this year.
With that said, how do the pair’s underlying numbers compare? Well, considering the Arles-born monster is second to only Harry Kane in the Bundesliga’s Golden Boot race, it should be no surprise that he comes out ahead in most relevant metrics.
|
Serhou Guirassy vs Callum Wilson |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats per 90 |
Guirassy |
Wilson |
|
Expected Goals |
0.99 |
0.90 |
|
Goals |
1.45 |
0.86 |
|
Progressive Passes |
1.88 |
0.62 |
|
Progressive Carries |
1.37 |
1.11 |
|
Shots on Target |
1.88 |
1.86 |
|
Goals per Shot on Target |
0.64 |
0.33 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
81.8% |
63.4% |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
3.67 |
1.86 |
|
Aerial Duels Won |
2.82 |
0.86 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season |
||
For example, despite producing relatively similar expected goal figures, the former FC Koln forward scores significantly more goals in reality. Likewise, while the pair take almost the same number of shots on target per 90, Guirassy converts almost twice as many of those shots into goals as his English competition.
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He could be a fantastic signing for Eddie Howe this year.
Ultimately, Wilson is a great striker and has been a more than useful player for the Toon, but with his constant injuries and age, a move for Guirassy just makes too much sense for Newcastle to ignore if they want to reach the next level.