Newcastle United fans will no doubt believe they have had a disappointing campaign this time around, but they only need to cast their minds back to a handful of years ago.
The Magpies massively struggled under the leadership of former owner Mike Ashley, even dropping into the Championship on two separate occasions.
The 61-year-old constantly came under fire for his lack of investment in the first-team, which no doubt had an impact on the club’s Premier League standing.
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His departure from St James’ Park has allowed the Saudi PIF to take the club to the next level, even reaching the Champions League on numerous occasions since their arrival.
However, numerous of Ashley’s additions still remain at the club in the present days, but the same can’t be said for one player who was largely inconsistent on Tyneside.
The stats behind Miguel Almiron’s time at Newcastle
During the January window of 2021, Newcastle completed the £20m fee of winger Miguel Almiron - subsequently joining the club in a then club-record transfer.
The 32-year-old spent six years on Tyneside, amassing a total of 223 appearances in the process, but only managing to register a total of 30 goals during such a period.
Newcastle United's Miguel Almiron before the match
Newcastle United's Miguel Almiron before the match
The Paraguayan international enjoyed his best spell for the Magpies in the 2022/23 campaign, as he registered 11 goals in his 34 league appearances that term.
However, Almiron would struggle to emulate such levels during his final 18 months at the club, as he managed to score just five times in his final 56 outings.
He was subsequently sold back to Atalanta United in January 2025 for a reported £8m, with the club looking to move in a new direction under Eddie Howe’s guidance.
The Newcastle star who’s becoming the next Almiron
As seen by the Saudi PIF’s heavy spending in the transfer market, they are looking to make Newcastle a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League and Europe.
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Their recent finishes within the top five have showcased that the club are capable of battling with the country’s elite - but they need to show their levels on a more consistent basis.
Over £160m was spent on new additions during last summer window alone, with the likes of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa both moving to Tyneside for fees over £50m.
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The aforementioned duo weren’t the only big-money additions made by Howe and the hierarchy, with winger Anthony Elanga joining from Nottingham Forest for a deal rising to £60m.
Huge expectations were placed upon the Swedish international after his move, with the 23-year-old registering six goals and 12 assists at the City Ground last campaign.
Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga-1
However, the move has so far been a disappointing one for both parties, with the attacker failing to live up to expectations - just as many did during Ashley’s time as owner.
Elanga has featured 44 times for the Magpies since his big-money transfer, but has only managed to find the back of the net on three occasions - two of which came in the same game.
He’s also failed to provide chances for his teammates within the final third, as seen by his measly tally of just one assist - taking his tally to just four goal contributions.
His performance levels have certainly been comparable to those of Almiron at St James’, with both players struggling to impress with the demands placed upon them.
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The former Forest star’s underlying stats also make for poor reading, with the attacker massively underperforming compared to the standards he produced in the East Midlands.
He’s only managed to complete 28% of the dribbles he’s attempted so far this campaign, subsequently ranking him in the bottom 15% of all attackers in the league.
Anthony Elanga - PL stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Pass accuracy
Dribbles completed
Shots taken
Chances created
Big chances created
Cross success
Elanga has also only registered 1.1 shots per 90 this season - also ranking him in the bottom 10% of players in the league - further reaffirming his struggles in attacking areas.
Given his struggles, coupled with the £60m transfer fee, his move has been a complete disaster, with the Swede no better than the levels produced by Almiron at St James’.
Landing players who aren’t at the level required for the top six was a theme under Ashley’s tenure, with such a case becoming evident with Elanga in 2025/26.
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