Newcastle United staff are believed to have completely lost trust in one Magpies star, with manager Eddie Howe also having zero belief in him.
Eddie Howe under mouting pressure at Newcastle
The pressure on Howe continues to mount.
Saturday’s home defeat to Bournemouth — a third consecutive league loss — leaves Newcastle sitting 14th in the table, and a visit to the Emirates this weekend to face title-chasing Arsenal offers little prospect of relief, even if Mikel Arteta’s side are in a major rut themselves right now.
Three wins from their last 11 Premier League outings is a return that few predicted from a club that was playing Champions League football just a few weeks ago, and with questions over Howe’s future intensifying, the summer rebuild cannot come soon enough.
Saturday’s defeat was particularly deflating.
Adrien Truffert struck five minutes from time to hand Bournemouth a 2-1 win at St James’ Park, cancelling out William Osula’s equaliser and continuing a miserable run of home form.
Anthony Gordon’s absence with a hip flexor injury only added to the gloom, with the winger having also been the subject of reports suggesting he could be open to leaving the club in the summer.
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Eddie Howe has been under scrutiny this season.
The trip to Arsenal on Saturday represents another stern examination.
Arteta’s side, currently locked in a fierce battle for the title with Man City, will be desperate to bounce back from their own loss to City last weekend.
Newcastle staff lose faith in Yoane Wissa with summer exit on the cards
Amid all of this, Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke reports that recruitment work is already well underway at the club, with PIF prepared to sanction another significant spend to help Howe reshape his squad for next season.
A new striker is understood to be among the top priorities, and the arrival of one will have direct consequences for one player in particular.
Indeed, Yoane Wissa‘s time at St James’ Park looks to be coming to an end.
The DR Congo international was signed from Brentford for £55 million last summer as a replacement for Alexander Isak, but his debut season in the North East has been a considerable disappointment.
He has made just 14 Premier League appearances, starting only four of them, and has contributed a single goal across the entire campaign.
He last started in any competition on February 7, with Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and William Osula all preferred ahead of him in the pecking order.
Football Insider report that Howe and his coaching staff have completely lost faith in the 29-year-old, with sources describing the manager as having “no confidence” in his ability to perform at the required level.
The club are prepared to listen to offers this summer, though they have accepted that recouping the full £55 million they spent looks extremely unlikely given his lack of impact.
A new frontman coming in would effectively seal his departure too.
For a club of Newcastle’s ambitions, it has been a humbling campaign.
The hope is that the summer brings the reset Howe believes the squad needs.
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