Six Newcastle United (players who are like) new signings | OneFootball

We heard this all the time in the past about Newcastle United players.

The Mike Ashley era overwhelmingly populated with stooges passing for managers/head coaches, all ready to say whatever they were ordered/expected to.

So when Ashley yet again refused to allow proper investment in the squad and/or sold the latest star player, we heard the same thing over and over again.

Newcastle United players returning from injury and in the absence of the real thing in the transfer market, we were told that the returning (insert name) was ‘like a new signing.’

Well, times have moved on thankfully.

We don’t get this kind of nonsense from Eddie Howe or the current Newcastle United owners and their senior employees.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that these six Newcastle United players are very much ‘like a new signing’…

15 Nick Pope

12 Tino Livramento

8 Lewis Hall

5 Joe Willock

15 Joelinton

7 Harvey Barnes

Those numbers in front of each name are how many Premier League starts each made in the 2023/24 PL season.

In total for the six Newcastle United players, 62 Premier League starts in the 2023/24 Premier League season, from a possible 228.

I totally understand Newcastle United fans are anxious to see more new signings come in, who doesn’t want to see that happen?

However, that is very different from the way that a minority of NUFC supporters go on, making out it will be a certain disaster unless a fair few top-quality signings are made this month.

You always need to try and improve the quality of both team and squad in each transfer window BUT you also need perspective.

When Mike Ashley was replaced, there was serious emergency work needed in making any number of signings in the early transfer windows, to repair the damage of 14+ years of that previous owner. We are now though in the sixth transfer window since Ashley departed and the picture is very different.

The huge problem at Newcastle United last season wasn’t a case of not having a good enough team or squad, it was the fact that an unprecedented number of those first-choice eleven and squad players were unavailable for so many games.

We still have a carryover from last season in terms of long-term injuries and indeed some new ones that have happened this summer, however, the fact remains that as far as I can see, Sven Botman is the only one who will be definitely missing when the season kicks off, who would for sure be in the first-choice eleven.

Eddie Howe has reacted to this, as well as for the strength of the team and squad overall for now and the future, by bringing in Lloyd Kelly on a free. Eddie Howe signed a 20-year-old Kelly for £13m five years ago from Championship Bristol City and now he is a Premier League hardened defender who was much sought after this summer. Eddie Howe’s relationship was key to landing him for a bargain-free transfer when Bournemouth couldn’t persuade Lloyd Kelly to sign a new deal.

Anyway, back to the half-dozen Newcastle United named above.

All six of them started in the 4-1 hammering of Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday, a team in the middle of their domestic league season and the match played in hot and humid conditions that those more used to Tyneside conditions would most definitely not have been used to.

One friendly win doesn’t of course prove anything BUT what we have seen of these six Newcastle United players previously, does, at least for me anyway.

Joe Willock was man of the match for Newcastle United on his return yesterday and just reminded us of how he was one of the very best NUFC players in 2022/23 when Newcastle finished fourth.

Nick Pope made some top-quality saves yesterday, including from a penalty, whilst he made an astonishing top-class reflex save at Hull on Saturday. Nobody is surprised by this. As well as nobody conceded less goals than Newcastle in the 2022/23 PL season, in the 2023/24 PL season Nick Pope conceded 16 goals in his 15 Premier League starts and in the other 23 PL games, Newcastle conceded 47 goals.

Along with Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes was one of Eddie Howe’s big senior ready-to-play signings last summer. Sadly, a freak injury early in the season led to fitness and injury issues throughout the campaign, yet we still saw glimpses of just how lethal he can be, both scoring and creating. In his very first NUFC appearance off the bench, Barnes scored one and git an assist in the 5-1 hammering of Villa. He only started seven PL matches last season but scored five goals, including superb finishes (with both feet) to rescue a late draw against Luton and a win over West Ham.

Joelinton – enough said.

As for Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, Eddie Howe taking a very brave and sensible long-term approach, arriving as a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old, the pair was given all the time they needed last season to integrate and progress.

They only made 20 PL starts between them last season but we all saw the benefits of Howe’s approach, as they got better and better as the season progressed, especially teenager Lewis Hall.

These are six Newcastle United players who will be very much like new signings in many ways, plus of course Sandro Tonali when he becomes available from the fourth NUFC Premier League match onwards.

Yes Newcastle United ideally need more signings this window, however, the likes of these seven named above (including Tonali) will be massive for NUFC this coming season, along with others, injury/fitness permitting.