In what is turning out to be a busy few days at St James’ Park, Newcastle United announced the signing of former Bournemouth forward Callum Wilson for a sum in the region of £20million on Monday.
The 28-year-old had been a great servant to the Cherries across the previous six years, seamlessly transitioning in that time from a Championship level forward to top Premier League striker.
Their relegation at the end of last season opened the door for Newcastle to swoop in and acquire his services as Steve Bruce continues to work on bolstering his sides attack ahead of the new Premier League season which is only a matter of days away.
Wilson netted eight league goals last season and 14 in the season before - his best ever Premier League return - therefore Newcastle know they have got themselves a fine goalscorer in the form of the England international.
His impressive goal return does in large come down to the regularity in which he manages to unleash shots towards goal. Always a goal threat when he's on the pitch, he has averaged 1.74 shots per 90 across the previous two seasons for Bournemouth, with 46.3% of those efforts at very least hitting the target. For comparison, Joelinton managed just 1.43 shots per 90 last season, with only 31.1% hitting the target.
Like any good striker, one of Wilson’s main assets is his ability to work himself into good locations near the goal. This is highlighted by his impressive below shot map from last season.
Another appealing facet to Wilson’s game is that it isn’t only centred around just scoring goals. He’s registered ten league assists across the previous two seasons and has additionally averaged 0.81 passes that led directly to a shot on a goal for a teammate per 90 too.
Beyond these above quantifiable actions, Wilson is hard-working, possess good stamina and is very versatile, the latter of which is crucial for Bruce given that it’s not clear what formation he will line his side up in this season.
The Toon tended to utilise a 5-4-1 for most fixtures last season, prioritising defensive solidity above attacking intent. Yet, the arrival of Wilson, along with former Bournemouth teammate Ryan Fraser, means Bruce will have notably more attacking options to choose from this season. This could, as a result, see Bruce line his side up differently, but what would suit Wilson best?
Well at Bournemouth, former manager Eddie Howe tended to fluctuate between a one or two up top formation, with Wilson integral to each.
Last season he scored three of his goals in a one-up top formation and five in a two-up top formation, highlighting how neither really impact his ability to find the back of the net. This means Bruce can be confident knowing that Wilson will be able to slot in and perform no matter what formation he goes with this season.
Based on all of the above, it's clear why Newcastle were so keen to land the 28-year-old and he looks set to be a big player for them this year.
