Could you name a signing from the Mike Ashley era who would grace the top-five list of Newcastle United’s finest additions of the past 18 years?
Fabricio Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye, the late Cheick Tiote, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse would all stake compelling claims. Spilling into the Eddie Howe era at St. James’ Park are Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar, and their cases are strong too.
Howe’s Most-used Players at Newcastle
Rank
Player
Apps
1
Bruno Guimaraes
164
2
Fabian Schar
160
3
Dan Burn
159
4
Jacob Murphy
145
5
Joelinton
139
Data via Transfermarkt
Fine players all, but Newcastle have ascended to higher ground over the past four years. Murphy and Schar are industrious and efficient parts of the Toon system, but neither is the cream of the crop.
Let’s have a look at those glittering arrivals of recent years. The difference-makers. The trophy winners. The go-getters.
There are a few who have bloomed into players of the highest class.
Howe’s best Newcastle signings
Newcastle were weak, but now they are strong. Once rudderless under Ashley’s tyrannical reign, the Toon charted a new course upon that PIF takeover, and they haven’t looked back.
Time and time again, Howe and his team have got it right. Take Anthony Gordon. The England international suffered his share of flak upon joining from Everton, but he’s gone from strength to strength and has seen interest rebuffed from the likes of Liverpool, who were not put off by the 24-year-old’s £100m valuation in 2024.
Gordon is not alone, and potentially even overshadowed by the skipper, Bruno Guimaraes. In amongst the action from the get-go, the Brazilian has been a pillar of strength in the middle of the park, effortlessly good.
One of Guimaraes’ finest qualities is that he bleeds black and white. Forget the peerless technical quality, cast out the steely tenacity, here is a man who loves the club and has channelled his passion toward illustrious success.
There are many more besides still plying their trade in a Newcastle shirt, but these are likely the superstars.
We must mention Alexander Isak, who was arguably the best striker in the Premier League last season, scoring 27 goals. He left in inflamed circumstances and will never again be the flavour of the month on Tyneside.
But Newcastle banked a British-record fee of £125m for the Sweden striker, and given his success at the outfit and the way in which Howe and co have turned those moneybags back to the transfer market is an interesting thing, with one new recruit in particular shaping up to be one of the best signings of the PIF era.
Newcastle star may be the best of the PIF era
Sometimes, you can just tell. And in the case of Nick Woltemade, you can just tell that Newcastle have landed themselves one of the most talented forwards in Europe.
Hailed by reporter Andy Sixsmith for his “mesmerising” link-up play, the German striker may not have chalked his name onto the scoresheet when Newcastle defeated Benfica this week, but his overall play was a thing to behold and evidence that he doesn’t need goals to put in show-stopping performances.
Of course, the goals are nice, and with five from eight matches for his new club this season. He’s only missed three big chances for the club, clinical and precise, and there’s a willingness to drop deep and weave play together, threading the fabric of Howe’s side like a seamster.
This might seem like big praise, but the big man is a big talent, and Newcastle must feel they have got bang for their buck.
It is… telling that Howe’s attacking composition looks like it’s going to stabilise and provide the fans with plenty more joy in the final third in spite of the loss of Isak, such a devastating frontman.
Isak left for a staggering sum, and Newcastle have replaced him with Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, currently sidelined with a knee injury but sure to be a confident goalscorer when he makes his bow. Now United are making headway once again; now they are demonstrating signs of attacking qualities which could evolve into something new and in line with the lofty ambitions.
While Woltemade arrived from Stuttgart this summer for a £69m fee, breaking that previous record price, he is demonstrating that Newcastle are receiving bang for their buck. It is unlikely the goals will dry up and Newcastle will become parched at number nine, should they continue to make creative gains, piecing back together the full fluency of Howe’s team.
The underlying data tells much of his potential. Thanks to FBref’s data, we can show that Woltemade ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
He is, plainly, rather good, and will only get better as he matures and develops within the English game.
It is too early to claim with any conviction that Woltemade has been the definitive best signing of the PIF era at St. James’ Park.
The likes of Gordon and Guimaraes, after all, have played instrumental roles in the ascension of Howe’s project, leading the club twice into the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup last season.
We cannot definitively call Woltemade the best signing of this new Newcastle chapter, but we can extrapolate from the early readings in black and white and say, confidently, that this is a special striker, and he’s gearing up for more and more success.
