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

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

United’s first match of the 2025/26 Premier League season is only 11 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 (5 August 2025).

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

Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale

Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier

Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles

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 – Martin Dubravka, Odysseas Vlachodimos, John Ruddy, 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 as our first choice and back up (maybe not necessarily in that order…?), NUFC are looking good in this department.

Defenders

I think adding that long awaited younger more mobile able to play right side at centre-back option this summer, then 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 new signing, 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 for another year if fully recovered, for what he can give on and off the pitch. However, reality is that we definitely need a new younger/more mobile option for right side centre-back. 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 frontline options looking strong overall. 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.

However, the big question of course is surrounding Alexander Isak.

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 Isak leaves.

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

A minimum of three more signings needed before we have a Newcastle United squad properly equipped for what lies ahead. The long awaited right-sided central defender, another midfielder, plus another striker (two if Alexander Isak leaves).

An improved offer for Benjamin Sesko has been made, whilst The Times had an exclusive on United now going for Marc Guehi again. Get those two in (or similar level) and I think the scales then tip to the makings of a very positive transfer window by the time it closes, with still time to bring in one or two more as well as them.

Naturally, the elephant in the room is that the Alexander Isak situation needs sorting one way or the other ASAP, that will be key to how Eddie Howe sees his final Newcastle United squad ideally looking.