Newcastle United have truly gone sapped and dour football under the shadow of Mike Ashley to slick and purposeful play with Eddie Howe at the helm, charged by the PIF.
Transfer spending over the past several years has seen St. James’ Park piece itself back together, bit by bit, each move strengthening the buttressing, adding flair to the halls.
Now, it’s a team to be proud of, having competed in the Champions League and reached the Carabao Cup final in recent years. Injuries precluded any real success last year but the Magpies are hoping to take flight once again this term, with the high-class midfield capable of supercharging the efforts.
Eddie Howe's Newcastle midfield
Newcastle might not have had the most inspiring of summer transfer windows but they have welcomed Italian maestro Sandro Tonali back to the fold, with last summer’s £55m acquisition having missed the majority of the past year due to a suspension pertaining to betting breaches.
The stylish ace’s return could bear dividends, adding a dimension to a midfield that already boasts a healthy assortment of qualities. Joelinton, striker-turned-roving-number-eight, offers a brilliant kind of bullishness, while Sean Longstaff counterbalances through his industrious, under-the-radar role.
Joe Willock’s looking to impress too, having missed chunks of last season due to injury – Howe praised the dynamic talent’s “infectious” presence last season.
Matches (starts)
7 (7)
Goals
0
Assists
1
Touches*
72.3
Pass completion
84%
Key passes*
0.6
Dribbles*
1.6 (92%)
Ball recoveries*
4.7
Tackles + interceptions*
4.3
Total duels won*
8.3 (61%)
Ahh, we haven’t even talked about Bruno Guimaraes, the cream of United’s crop. As you can see, he’s utterly breathtaking in his all-encompassing grasp of the midfield craft, and it’s crucial that he continues to ply his trade on Tyneside over the coming years.
It’s a world away from former struggles, with the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Henri Saivet and Jack Colback staying put for too long.
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There is one who slipped through Newcastle fingers, however, and his name’s Mikel Merino.
Mikel Merino's market value
Newcastle signed Merino way back in 2017, with the Spaniard completing what was initially a loan move but shaped into a permanent deal in October, just a few months into the campaign.
Merino would complete one lonely season in England’s top flight for the Toon, helping Rafa Benitez’s side to an impressive tenth-placed finish but only featuring 25 times. He wasn’t happy and looked longingly toward his Spanish homeland.
And so it was that Newcastle agreed to a transfer with Real Sociedad, seeing the combative midfielder move away after his reported £10m buyout clause was met.
This proved to be an auspicious move for the player, who chalked up 242 appearances and showcased his remarkable duel-heavy personality on the field, earning a place in Spain’s international squad and recently playing a part in winning the 2024 European Championship in Germany.
His performances, which led analyst Ben Mattinson to hail him as a “duel monster” with an “aerially dominant” approach and a progressive edge to his ball-playing, led Arsenal to swoop in and sign him up this summer, with Mikel Arteta viewing his compatriot as perfect to add a final dimension to his thriving unit.
And thus the 28-year-old was signed in a £32m package this summer in what could even prove a shrewd signing as the Gunners chase down the Premier League title.
Deceptively robust and multi-functional, the lanky 6 foot 2 star ranks among the top 3% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 12% for tackles, the top 1% for aerial duels won and the top 18% for progressive passes per 99, as per FBref.
Newcastle only saw the slightest shine of quality from this fully-fledged European phenom, whose value – which actually now stands at €50m (£42m), according to Transfermarkt – has skyrocketed some 320% since he left St. James’ Park.
It’s one that goes down as a what if. That said, with such a high-quality engine room under Howe’s wing, he’s not missed too badly.
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