Newcastle United players pose for a team group photo before the match
Newcastle have spent the summer dismantling much of the side that carried them back into the Champions League and ended their long wait for a major trophy.
Anthony Gordon was the first major name to leave, with the England star sealing a £69.3 million move to Barcelona, with Sandro Tonali then joining Tottenham for around £100m and Bruno Guimaraes signing for Arsenal.
Anthony Gordon joins Barcelona
Kieran Trippier has also moved to Wolves, removing another senior voice from the dressing room. Eddie Howe then resigned before Matthias Jaissle was appointed as Newcastle’s new head coach.
Those departures have changed the identity of the team.
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|Confirmed Newcastle summer exits|
|Date|Player|Position|Destination|Transfer type|Reported fee|
|---|
|May 29|Anthony Gordon|Left winger|Barcelona|Permanent|£69.3m including add-ons|
|June 3|Travis Hernes|Central midfield|FC Groningen|Permanent|Undisclosed|
|June 30|Aaron Ramsdale|Goalkeeper|Southampton|End of loan|No fee|
|June 30|Emil Krafth|Right-back|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|John Ruddy|Goalkeeper|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|Max Thompson|Goalkeeper|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|Alfie Harrison|Central midfield|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|Adam Harrison|Goalkeeper|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|James Taylor|Goalkeeper|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|Joe Brayson|Centre-forward|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|Thomas Bryant|Centre-back|Unattached|Released|Free|
|June 30|Darren Palmer|Central midfield|Unattached|Released|Free|
|July 1|Kieran Trippier|Right-back|Wolves|Permanent|Free|
|July 6|Sandro Tonali|Central midfield|Tottenham|Permanent|£92.5m plus £7.5m add-ons|
|July 9|Harrison Ashby|Right-back|Luton Town|Season-long loan|No fee disclosed|
|July 16|Joe White|Attacking midfield|Crewe Alexandra|Permanent|Undisclosed|
|July 23|Matt Targett|Left-back|Hull City|Permanent|Free|
|July 27|Ciaran Thompson|Centre-back|Darlington|Permanent after release|Free|
|August 8|Bruno Guimarães|Central midfield|Arsenal|Permanent|£75m|
|August 11|Alex Murphy|Left-back|Kaiserslautern|Season-long loan|No fee disclosed|
Tonali and Guimaraes were Newcastle’s two most accomplished central midfielders, while Gordon supplied pace, direct running and star quality from the left.
Trippier had also been one of the leading figures behind the club’s rise following the takeover.
Kieran-Trippier
Newcastle have responded by targeting younger players.
Sean Steur has arrived from Ajax for £23 million, while Aladji Bamba cost £35.5 million from Monaco. Bazoumana Touré, Amar Dedic and two new goalkeepers have also been added during a busy reset.
Jaissle has inherited a squad built around talent and energy rather than established Premier League stars, and that makes every remaining senior player important, particularly in midfield.
Joelinton and Lewis Miley remain, while Joe Willock brings experience and the ability to carry the ball through central areas.
Joelinton for Newcastle
However, Newcastle are not playing in Europe after finishing 12th last season. Jaissle will have fewer matches to manage, making it harder to guarantee regular minutes to every midfielder.
A decision is now required over Willock's future.
Newcastle set for Joe Willock sale decision after Bestikas bid
joe-willock-newcastle-united
Fabrizio Romano reports that Beşiktaş have made an offer for the 27-year-old and identified him as their leading midfield target. Newcastle must now decide whether to accept the proposal or keep him for Jaissle’s first season.
The case for selling is strong.
Willock made 24 Premier League appearances last season, but only 10 were starts. He featured 39 times across all competitions and produced one goal and three assists, with his only goal arriving in the Champions League.
Those numbers are modest for a midfielder whose best quality has traditionally been his ability to surge into the penalty area.
Willock scored eight league goals during his initial loan spell at Newcastle, but that attacking output has not been repeated consistently.
His contract is the bigger issue, with his deal expiring at the end of this season, meaning Newcastle risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Joe-Willock-Newcastle
Allowing the situation to drift would make little financial sense.
If Willock is not going to be a regular starter, this is Newcastle’s final realistic opportunity to secure a worthwhile fee without first agreeing a new contract.
There is still an argument for keeping him.
Willock, who Sean Longstaff called an 'underrated' member of their squad, knows the Premier League, counts towards the homegrown quota and could suit Jaissle’s high-energy football.
Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle poses with the home kit on the pitch
Selling another experienced midfielder after losing Tonali and Guimarães would leave the department heavily dependent on their younger gems.
Newcastle should avoid accepting a cut-price offer, as they have already raised more than £240 million from their three biggest sales and are not under any pressure to accept the first bid that arrives.
But if Beşiktaş are prepared to offer a fee close to Willock’s market value, a sale would be the sensible decision.
His limited output, reduced starting role and contract situation all point towards this being the correct time for a fresh start, even if Newcastle lose a bit of depth.
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