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Newcastle United are set for a busy summer in the transfer market with 12 first team players set to move on upon the expiry of their contracts later this month.
The Magpies confirmed the departures of Katie Barker, Georgia Gibson, Olivia Watt, Amber-Keegan Stobbs, Grace Donnelly, Hannah Greenwood, Rachel Furness, Amy Andrews, Sophie Haywood, Daisy Burt, Rebecca Ferguson and Jodie Bartle on Friday evening.
With Newcastle United having various positions to fill, WSL Full-Time have reviewed the free agent pool and here are three players that The Magpies could try to sign this summer.
Poppy Pattinson (left-back)
Full-back Poppy Pattinson will soon be without a club with her contract at Brighton & Hove Albion set to expire. The 25-year-old Houghton-le-Spring-born defender is thought to be keen to play for Newcastle United in the future, although there are serious question marks over whether she would drop into the second tier.
Newcastle United already have a strong left-back option in Demi Stokes and signing Pattinson would give head coach Becky Langley something of a selection dilemma.
It seems likely that the former England youth international will line-up for Newcastle United one day but with Pattinson having been a regular performer in the Barclays Women’s Super League, she would need an extra incentive to play Barclays WSL2 football in the short-term.
Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (attacker)
London City Lionesses forward Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah will become a free agent at the end of this month after helping her club win promotion to the Barclays Women’s Super League this season. The Liverpudlian has scored 11 league goals in two seasons with The Pride and has provided four assists.
Boye-Hlorkah is a player that ticks many boxes for Newcastle United. She has top flight playing experience from her time with Everton and Aston Villa and has won two second tier titles. The attacker boasts bags of pace and would really compliment a Newcastle United front-line while includes the speedy Shania Hayles.
Signing Boye-Hlorkah would be a step forward for The Magpies. The player may be tempted by a return north and by the club’s top tier ambition.
Rianna Dean (forward)
Experienced forward Rianna Dean will be looking for a new club this summer when she leaves Southampton. The 26-year-old is vastly experienced at Barclays WSL2 level having turned out for Millwall Lionesses, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Southampton in the second tier.
Dean has twice won promotion from the second tier while she once netted 14 league goals in a season earlier in her career. Wherever Dean has gone, she has found the back of the net and she’s worth a gamble on a free transfer.
The big concern in recruiting Dean is her injury record. The player has had rotten luck on the fitness front over multiple years and you may not get 22 games out of her in the season. If you can take good care of her and keep her fit, smiling and enjoying her football, you’ll have an excellent striker on your hands. Dean would certainly be a good squad player for Newcastle United, if not more.
Newcastle United are yet to announce any summer additions, although their transfer activity should increase when contracts end and the transfer window opens.
