Newcastle United didn’t rest on their laurels after winning the Carabao Cup and restoring their place in the Champions League last season, breaking their transfer record for expenditure in a summer transfer window.
Of course, Eddie Howe’s side parted ways, rather acrimoniously, with centre-forward Alexander Isak, who had refused to train throughout August in order to force his way out and to Premier League champions Liverpool.
There is no two ways about it: this was a big blow for a club on the up. However, if you are going to lose your star man, swap him with an elite-class replacement.
Having banked £125m for the Sweden star’s signature, funds were redirected toward Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade, who completed a £69m move at the end of August.
Why Woltemade could be one of Newcastle's best signings
Given that he’s Newcastle’s club-record purchase, you’d hope that Howe would be receiving bang for his buck when welcoming the striker to the fold, not least because he is stepping into Isak’s boots.
But seven games into his career in black and white, the German international has scored four goals from seven matches and is grasping the opportunity to nail down his spot as Yoane Wissa continues to recover from a knee injury suffered before he could make his debut.
Praised by Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor in the past as “the two-metre Messi”, the 6 foot 6 striker is as rangy as they come, but he’s anything but ungainly.
Endowed with a deft technical skill and an awareness that allows him to link up fluidly with his teammates, there’s so much potential for Howe to tap into over the coming years, and if he continues as he has started, Toon fans will remember Isak as little more than an afterthought.
It’s hard to hit the ground running in the Premier League, and the likes of Isak and Anthony Gordon stand as evidence at St. James’ Park as to why it’s important to give players time to integrate.
Howe's original Woltemade-type signing
Though his first foray into English football was heavily disrupted by a ten-month fan as a result of betting breaches, Sandro Tonali started as he would eventually go on, netting on his debut for Newcastle against Aston Villa in August 2023.
It was clear from the off that Howe had signed a high-quality midfielder, welcoming Tonali from AC Milan in Italy for a £55m fee. Hailed by Italian reporter Carlo Garganese for his “world-class” potential when cutting his teeth in his homeland, Tonali has rebounded from that first-season setback and now plays as the linchpin at the heart of the Magpies’ engine.
Elegant and effortless on the ball, the 25-year-old works perfectly alongside Bruno Guimaraes, with his control and reading of the game opening up avenues for the Brazilian, whose athleticism and ability to cover vast stretches of ground have seen Howe nudge him into a slightly more advanced berth.
As with Woltemade, Tonali’s signature came at a heavy financial cost, but he is playing with a gusto and quality that suggests he could be one of the key pillars of Howe’s tactical vision for many years to come.
Both players have yet to hit their prime, and that’s an exciting thing. Moreover, Tonali is becoming ever more important as the architect of Newcastle’s ball-playing fluency, just as, with Wissa injured, Woltemade is tasked with scoring the goals for this title-chasing team.
Kieran Trippier
6
10.4
Sandro Tonali
7
7.31
Jacob Ramsey
2
7.14
Bruno Guimaraes
6
6.33
Lewis Hall
3
6.00
He’s been ever-present in the Premier League so far this season, and there’s a reason Howe has entrusted him with such an important role.
Tonali, like Woltemade, faced questions upon completing a big-money move to Tyneside, but his quality on the pitch has prevailed and he has risen to a standing in Howe’s squad as one of the most significant cogs in the machine.