Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe was backed by PIF in the January transfer window as a number of players were brought in to the club.
Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes all came in and it seems likely that they will be active again in the summer to further improve the squad if they can.
However, another source of talent Howe could utilise is the academy set-up at St. James' Park as he could find promising youngsters to supplement his first-team set-up.
Coloccini 2.0
One player who he needs to take a look at during pre-season later this year is central defender Lewis Cass, who has been on loan at Port Vale this season.
Howe could unearth Fabricio Coloccini 2.0 by bringing the centre-back into the senior fold as he has the potential to grow into the role he played and must give him a chance to impress ahead of the 2022/23 season.
He is set to miss the remainder of the current campaign through injury and this setback could give him the motivation to come back in the summer and nail down a first-team spot with the Magpies. The defender has shown signs of promise on and off the pitch whilst out on loan and is a player worth taking a look at.
On the pitch, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.95 in the EFL Trophy for the Football League side, winning 60% of his duels, whilst also playing 19 times in League Two prior to his knock. This suggests that he was thriving at senior level despite being just 21, which highlights the potential he has to improve further as he gains more experience.
Port Vale supporters club chairman Mark Porter previously lauded the player's maturity beyond his years, saying:
“He seems a commanding player who, as he grows, could become a leader, a captain. I think he has all the attributes to make it at a higher level. Let’s hope he can start his journey at Port Vale, sign permanently and then who knows where he could go in the next few years.”
These comments suggest that he is captain material and could be a player who goes on to wear the armband in the future for the Toon if he is able to fulfill his potential. Therefore, he could have an impact on and off the pitch with his leadership as he can make a difference with his words during games and around the dressing room/training ground to give his teammates a lift.
This is why he could be the next Coloccini as the Argentine Newcastle icon was the club's skipper for a number of years and made well over 200 appearances for the side during his time in England, with both players also playing in the same position - centre-back. Cass is a strong defender, based on his statistic for Port Vale, and has the personality to match the Toon legend in his leadership role, which is why he could be the next Coloccini for Howe.
Whilst he may not be ready to come in and immediately be a regular in the Premier League, Howe could expose the youngster to some minutes in the top-flight and ease him in or opt to send him out on loan to a higher level to gain more experience. For example, he could spend a season in the Championship to aid his development and put him in a place where he can come back and make the first-team grade at Newcastle.
AND in other news, Huge blow: Eddie Howe suffers "serious setback" that will leave Newcastle fans gutted...