Newcastle United squad of 22 players – The 11 first choices and the 11 direct replacements | OneFootball

How do you think this Newcastle United squad is now shaping up?

United’s first match of the 2025/26 Premier League season is only four days away.

Is the Newcastle United squad fit for purpose?

I think a common theme when looking at both first choice players and the back up ones, is to look at your first eleven and their direct replacements.

I have taken a look through the Newcastle United squad as it currently  stands on 12 August 2025 (including Malick Thiaw who will be announced imminently).

My current Newcastle United first choice eleven and their direct replacements:

Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale

Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier

Fabian Schar and Malick Thiaw

Sven Botman and Dan Burn

Lewis Hall and Matt Targett

Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley

Bruno Guimaraes and ???

Joelinton and Joe Willock

Anthony Elanga and Jacob Murphy

Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes

Alexander Isak and Will Osula

(Other available Newcastle United players – John Ruddy, Jamaal Lascelles, Mark Gillespie, Alex Murphy, Emil Krafth, Harrison Ashby. Plus of course young players coming through from the Under 21s such as Leo Shahar and Trevan Sanusi, as well as new teenage winger signing Seung-soo Park)

Going through the options above, starting at the back…

Goalkeepers

I think now that we have Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale fighting it out to be number one, NUFC are looking good in this department.

Defenders

With Malick Thiaw set to be announced, I think adding that long awaited younger more mobile able to play right side at centre-back option this summer, we are pretty much sorted (of course, always room for more improvement, but with money needing to be allocated for spending in other areas, not essential to bring in more defenders than that new central defender). With Livramento, Hall, Schar or Thiaw, Burn or Botman, I am well happy with the defence.

Trippier can cover both full-back positions and if Botman available but Trippier and Hall not, then probably Burn would play left-back ahead of Targett. I think Lascelles will be handy to still have around, mostly for what he can give off the pitch, though no surprise if he moves on, now that Thiaw is coming in. Effectively, the likes of Lascelles, Targett, and Krafth to be third choice selections for the first team, on the outer edges of the Newcastle United squad.

Midfielders

Nobody is disputing the levels of the first choice trio but obviously we need at least one more midfielder. Longstaff has left and Eddie Howe himself has now pointed out that this leaves the number of Newcastle United midfield options lacking, especially with such a busy season ahead. Willock needs to recover from his latest injury AND find consistency again, whilst Miley is a great prospect and has had plenty of minutes on the pitch this pre-season but you can’t put too much expectation on him at this early stage of his career.

Forwards

With Elanga having, the wide options looking really strong. With Gordon, Murphy and Barnes as well, a very good quartet of wingers.

However, the big question of course is at centre-forward and the issues surrounding Alexander Isak.

Osula has potential but reality is that he needs to be third choice in terms of out and out striker. Plus, I think on what we have seen of him so far, Osula has looked best playing wide right and cutting in at pace from there.

Eddie Howe needs two main strikers in his Newcastle United squad and so we are looking at Isak plus a new signing, or two new signings if Alexander Isak leaves.

Both Elanga and Gordon can play through the middle if needed BUT that needs to be a fallback plan if needed at times, rather than a first or second choice option.

Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw and Aaron Ramsdale, mean that three of the positions where Newcastle United have needed strengthening for some time, have now been ticked off.

A minimum of two more signings needed before we have a Newcastle United squad properly equipped for what lies ahead. A striker, another midfielder, plus another striker if Alexander Isak leaves.