3 Super Eagles stars for Newcastle to realistically target in the new era

Newcastle United have recently run into some money (of the Arabian persuasion) and are thus expected to be elevated from their position of perpetual mediocrity to become actual Premier League contenders.

The new Saudi owners are willing to splash the cash to achieve the dream of making Newcastle great again but it has become clear that it cannot be done overnight.

The Saudi-Geordie project is still in its infancy so the club may yet not have the required clout to attract the biggest names in the game, meaning they would have to settle for moderate improvement in the meantime.

Signing good players who aren't the best but are better quality than they currently have should be Newcastle's priority and these three Nigerian internationals fit the profile to a T.

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Super Eagles forward Emmanuel Dennis enjoyed a great individual season in what was an otherwise grim campaign for Watford as they got relegated.

Dennis scored 10 goals and assisted six for Watford and finished seventh on Pulse Sports 30, a yearly ranking of Nigerian players.

West Ham and Everton are among the most likely destinations for the 24-year-old but there's no reason why Newcastle shouldn't be in the mix.

Dennis is no Mbappe or Haaland (the calibre of players Newcastle fans dreamt of bringing to St James' Park when the takeover was announced) but the Nigerian scored more goals than any Newcastle player last season while playing in a much worse team, his quality will improve the magpies.

Newcastle have recently made some midfield reinforcements with the January signing of Bruno Guimares and while the Brazilian has improved them a lot, they could do with some more new faces.

Joe Aribo has been exceptional for Rangers since he joined in 2019 and the Nigerian attacking midfielder will prove to be an upgrade on Joe Willock and Eddie Howe's other options in that position. 

Aribo finished second on Pulse Sports 30, a yearly ranking of the best Nigerian players, which is a huge testament to his quality.

Since joining Leicester City in 2017, Wilfred Ndidi has consistently been one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League for his elite ball-winning abilities.

The Nigerian international has been linked with a big move for the last three years but it has failed to materialise and many believe he may have just missed his window.

Ndidi appears destined for a top-six club so Newcastle pulling this off would be a huge coup and a massive statement of their intent to at least challenge for a European spot next season.

The 25-year-old midfield juggernaut was ranked the 21st-best Nigerian player on Pulse Sports 30, despite being injured for a large chunk of the season.