Newcastle United have returned to winning ways in the Premier League, thumping Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 to end frustrating chatter around a late relegation battle.
How quickly the narrative can change. Now, the Magpies are looking at a late burst of form that could push them back into contention for a ticket into Europe next season.
Eddie Howe‘s side have not been at the races this season, falling by the wayside in recent months and now facing a lot of uncertainty, both regarding their manager and several key players.
The Newcastle stars who could leave this summer
Last summer, Alexander Isak left Newcastle and signed for Liverpool in a record-breaking £125m deal. The season has not gone smoothly for the Swedish striker, but his absence has been keenly felt on Tyneside.
It now seems like Anthony Gordon could be about to follow suit. The £75m-rated England winger has been linked with a move away from St. James’ Park over the past several weeks, with Bayern Munich and Chelsea leading the race.
Gordon isn’t the only one who could be on his way. Sandro Tonali has been angling for a summer exit, and Manchester United are keen admirers of the elegant Italian midfielder. As with Gordon, he would not come cheap for potential buyers.
While Howe and all at Newcastle will hope that both superstars stay put, the same probably can’t be said for Yoane Wissa, who has endured a wretched season after pushing hard for his £55m transfer to the club from Brentford last year. PIF are already hoping to cut their losses on the 29-year-old striker.
Eddie Howe’s Premier League Journey at Newcastle
Season
Points
League Position
25/26
45
13th
24/25
66
5th
23/24
60
7th
22/23
71
4th
21/22*
49
11th
Change is afoot, but Newcastle can’t sell everyone, and with the likes of Gordon and Wissa potentially moving on, they will need their new version of Chris Wood to bounce back next season.
Why big-money Newcastle star is the new Chris Wood
Wood has been one of the most underrated strikers in the Premier League over the past decade, but his short stint with Newcastle certainly stands as a blot on the copybook.
It just didn’t work out for the veteran after his £30m transfer from Burnley in January 2022. Howe’s early Toon signings were largely excellent, but Wood didn’t work out, only scoring five goals across 39 matches.
Now, Nick Woltemade looks like he is in danger of becoming the new version of the Kiwi, having started strongly after his £69m move from Stuttgart last summer.
Woltemade impressed when Newcastle played Brighton at the start of the season, but his early Newcastle career has taken a turn for the worse, and he now faces a fightback to return to top form in the Premier League.
It’s unlikely that Newcastle would actively look to part with Woltemade this summer. After all, Wissa has already been deemed expendable, and the German is still an “absolutely ridiculous” talent, according to journalist Zach Lowy.
However, he needs to do a lot more, having gone 16 games without a goal in the Premier League. He started strongly, scoring seven times across 14 fixtures, but isolation at number nine and a revamped role deeper in attacking build-ups has put a spanner in the works for the 24-year-old.
Woltemade has struggled to make an impact over the past several months, but Howe and co will need him to return to form sharpish. Gordon’s potential departure opens up a vacancy for a new talisman in the final third.
Will he go down that path, or will Woltemade end up being another big-money flop in the vein of Wood? Let’s hope for the former.
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Newcastle United ended their losing run with a 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday.