After a dismal first half of the season which left them staring down the barrel of relegation, Newcastle’s form since Christmas will have plenty wondering if their star players are worth a look.
The Magpies have earned 10 victories since Christmas and are currently on a run of four wins in a row, taking them into the top half of the table.
With Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal next up for the club however, now may not be the best time to board the bandwagon.
Yet with Premier League survival all but assured, why not take a look at the Newcastle players who could make an impact on next season’s campaign?
Targett Man
Matt Targett arrived from Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window, and while he is set to return to Birmingham in the summer, the possibility remains that he may stay at St James’ Park.
The 26-year-old left-back has 12 assists over the last four seasons, and while he has been unable to add any since he left Villa Park, he has been a part of a defence which has three clean sheets in its last four.
Targett managed a goal and two assists this term before joining Eddie Howe in the North East, and ranks sixth for Creativity among all defenders in the division.
At £4.7m and 3.2 per cent ownership the Englishman has excellent differential potential, and might find a few more assists come his way if the Magpies make one or two marquee signings up front.
Full-back favourite
Despite playing just four games since his arrival from Atletico Madrid, Kieran Trippier made a huge impact before a foot injury ruled him out.
The England man managed 26 FPL points from four games before his injury, scoring two goals and keeping a clean sheet in that period.
Priced at just £5m, had he remained available for selection there is little doubt Trippier’s FPL popularity would have shot up in the weeks that followed.
With pedigree at the highest level however and a history of attacking returns in the PL, the right-back could yet become a fantasy favourite in seasons to come.
Talk about Bruno
The most exciting arrival of the January transfer window however looks to have been Bruno Guimaraes, the Brazilian midfielder who has quickly made a name for himself.
The 24-year-old made a slow start to life in the league but has since scored four and assisted one, returning 51 FPL points as a result.
Three of those goals have come in his last three games, earning 29 FPL points for the small group of managers who have taken a chance on him.
A brace against Leicester was backed up by a whopping Threat score of 118, while a backheel volley against Southampton in GW28 caught the eye – is he destined for great things next year?
French connection
Allan Saint-Maximin is the only player on this list who was at St James’ Park at the start of the season, and while he has had an average campaign, he might well benefit from the arrival of any top signings this summer.
With five goals and six assists this term, the Frenchman is the only Newcastle player with 100 FPL points or more, while his £6.8m price tag is affordable for a forward.
But his underlying data suggests he has more to give in the final third, ranking first among all strikers in the league for Creativity, which assesses the quality of chance a player provides their team-mates with.
His assist against Norwich this weekend was Saint-Maximin’s first attacking return since GW24 meanwhile – will he be a part of next season’s potentially revamped squad?
