Howe Bad Can It Get For Newcastle?

Eddie Howe

A disturbing summer for Newcastle is nearing catastrophe as Alexander Isak has reportedly agreed personal terms with Liverpool, risking a departure which could prove devastating for the Magpies. Isak was the Premier League’s second highest goal scorer behind Mohamed Salah last season when the Swedish striker found the net 23 times in league play. Replacing more than a third of the club’s goal production from last season would be problematic under any circumstances but Newcastle already seems to be struggling in this summer’s window. Winger Anthony Elanga, who scored six league goals for Nottingham Forest last season, has been the only noteworthy attacker added to date while pursuits of higher profile targets such as Hugo Etitike, Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro have failed.

The intent heading into the summer was clearly to complement Isak’s quality up front. Callum Wilson was a non-factor last season, scoring just a single league goal, and has now departed after a five-year, injury plagued run on Tyneside. Should Isak leave, the club could be looking for two replacements up front in a market which has largely been picked over already.

An unstable management situation does not provide a lot of optimism. The club is operating this summer without a permanent sporting director after Paul Mitchell left at the end of June after less than one year in his position. Mitchell had filled a sporting director vacancy created when predecessor Dan Ashworth was put on “gardening leave” prior to a messy departure to Manchester United. In addition to Mitchell’s departure, CEO Darren Eales, who joined the club in 2022, has also announced he will be stepping down to deal with personal health issues. Recruitment, meanwhile, is currently in the hands of former Mitchell subordinates Steve Nickson and Andy Howe, the nephew of Manager Eddie Howe. Family ties have not prevented Manager Howe from being understandably vocal on the lack of success in this summer’s market.

The Toon Army is unhappy as well with supporters even calling for the return of former owner Amanda Stavely. The English businesswoman was a key driver of the 2021 purchase of the club from former owner Mike Ashly to a consortium dominated by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Staveley fronted that takeover and was actively involved in transfer negotiations and importantly developed personal relationships with some of the key stars, including Isak. Purportedly, Stavely had spoken with Isak on a new contract before she and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi shockingly divested their ownership interest in the club and departed a year ago. Mitchell subsequently halted any talk of a new contract for Isak due to Profit and Sustainability concerns. Bad feelings ensued. Isak wants to play for big trophies and is probably a bit disillusioned with the top-level changes at the club and a perceived lack of vision.

Newcastle’s most important player is currently training on his own in Spain at his former club Real Sociedad while his teammates are on tour in Asia. Newcastle, for its part, remains adamant that Isak, with three years left on his current contract, is not for sale. An unhappy star, however, can be fatal to a club’s morale and performance and everyone has a price.

Liverpool’s first bid for the player was rejected this week. It is likely not the last bid from the recently free spending Reds and other suitors may well come to the fore now that the schism between Newcastle and its star is known. There has been rumored interest already from Saudi Arabia though Isak reportedly prefers the chance to compete for major European trophies. While claiming publicly that it will not sell Isak, the club has no choice but to explore other options. Benjamin Sesko, the RB Leipzig striker who has recently been linked with a Manchester United move, is one possibility. Brentford’s Yoanne Wissa is another name.

Trying to hold it all together now for the Magpies is Manager Eddie Howe. The former Bournemouth manager did a masterful job of turning things around last season when the club stumbled from the gate in league play and players were unnerved by the Stavely exit. The Magpies recovered in magnificent fashion to capture fourth place and a Champions League invitation. Even more exhilarating for the Toon Army was winning the Carabao Cup, capturing Newcastle’s first domestic cup in 70 years. Howe can now use some help bolstering his squad to contend with the demands of both Premier League and Champions League competition this season. The last thing he needs is the loss of 23 goals from last season’s Premier League roster as the Magpies prepare for their August 16th league opener at Aston Villa.

Transfer Update – The Search For Goal Scorers

The top Premier League clubs are once again scouring the globe for players who can find the net and enhance their club’s title chances. One of the more coveted goal scorers in this summer’s window came off the board this week and the winner is…last season’s Premier League champion and top goalscoring team, Liverpool.

Frenchman Hugo Ekitike, a twenty-three-year-old forward who scored 22 goals, adding 12 assists, across 48 matches for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, bolsters a front line for Liverpool which was rocked by the tragic death of Diogo Jota earlier this summer and could still see the departures of forwards Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz before the window closes. Ekitike boasts size and pace similar to Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who was the Premier League’s second leading scorer and was also a rumored target to become the Reds’ latest center forward. The champions have been active this summer with a total outlay for acquired players, including incentive add-ons, exceeding $250M. Ekitike joins former Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz as the featured offensive threats in this summer’s haul for the Reds. Liverpool beat German power Bayern Munich to Wirtz’s signature after a meeting with Arne Slot convinced the young midfielder of a prominent role in the Reds’ attack next season. Liverpool was also in a battle with other clubs for Ekitike’s signature.

An interesting dynamic arose with fellow Premier League side Newcastle which was chasing the French forward even as Liverpool was making overtures regarding Isak. In the end, Newcastle was unable to meet the financial demands of Eintracht Frankfurt and Ekitike. The Magpies, trying to strengthen a roster which will compete in the Champions League this season, also fell short in races with Chelsea for Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. To make matters worse, Isak was reportedly hot for a Liverpool move and is now a bit sulky as the Magpies, who have also said goodbye to striker Callum Wilson, begin preparations for the upcoming season.

Another, perhaps even more coveted goal scorer appears on the verge of signing after a dramatic battle between Premier League suitors. Viktor Gyokeres, a Swedish international who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP, appears poised to undergo his medical tbs week for a move to Premier League runner up Arsenal. The runner up in the Gyokeres sweepstakes is Manchester United, which was still bidding on the striker mere days ago. Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta will breathe easier once Gyokeres is on board and fills a blatant hole at the point of the Gunner attack which may well have accounted for failed title chases in each of the past two seasons.

Manchester United was also a late entrant to the Ekitike chase, reportedly mounting a competing bid to the winning Liverpool proposal after Newcastle bowed out of the pricey pursuit. Despite missing on both Gyokeres and Ekitike, the Red Devils have completed other moves to rework their dismal attack. The Red Devils signed two of the top eight Premier League goal scorers last season in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Wolverhampton’s Matheus Cunha. Mbeumo enjoyed a breakout season with 20 league goals last season for the Bees. Cunha found the net 15 times for Wolves, leading his club in chances and shots created. The two players inject exciting possibilities into the stagnant front line of a club which Manager Ruben Amorim freely admits was the worst in Manchester United history. Departing from that dreary group of last season will be Marcus Rashford who is close to a loan deal with Barcelona and Alejandro Garnacho whose destination is unknown but for the fact there is no place for him in Amorim’s line-up. Failed striker Rasmus Hojlund may also be on the move if a suitor can be found for a striker who scored but four goals last season. Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, has been connected with a move to Juventus after a failed loan stint with Chelsea last season. Manchester United can use the money from offloading these players to further improve an attack so feeble last season that only Everton and the three relegated sides scored fewer goals. RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko could be part of those plans. He was among the top names expected to move this transfer window but, somewhat surprisingly, rumors had quieted until the past few days when Manchester United interest was reported. Sesko bagged 21 goals across all competitions for the German squad last season.

Another striker rumored to be a possibility for the Red Devils is Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson who has bedeviled the Blues with inconsistency and lack of discipline. The Club World Cup winners could now find the Senegal international expendable after adding Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this offseason as key men to play alongside franchise player Cole Palmer to keep the goals flowing for the Blues. A change of address could be just the thing for Jackson who could still have untapped potential at the age of 24 after scoring 30 goals since his arrival in England from Villareal in 2023.

Chelsea Are World Champions

Chelsea upset reigning Champions League titlist PSG 3-0 in the Club World Cup on Sunday as Cole Palmer put on a dazzling display, PSG Manager Luis Enrique lost his mind and American President Donald Trump awkwardly inserted himself in Chelsea’s trophy lift.

Palmer scored twice and assisted on Joao Pedro’s backbreaking third goal to give Chelsea its three-goal advantage before halftime. Many thought underdog Chelsea would need to sit back and cautiously defend against the French champions. Chelsea Manger Enzo Maresca never bought into that idea in pre match comments, however, and unleashed his attackers from the onset. Rather than sit back, Chelsea pressed their opponent high on the pitch from the opening whistle, quickly fatiguing the French side in the searing heat at Met Life Stadium. PSG turnovers would lead to counterattacks where Chelsea sought to overload a vulnerable left side of PSG’s defense. Newly acquired Chelsea forward Joao Pedro drifted from the center of the field to combine with Palmer on the right flank and give PSG fits.

Palmer has looked comfortable in this tournament on the right wing where he first found success in the 2023/24 season whereas this past season saw him struggle at times in a more central Number 10 role. He was at the top of his game on Sunday putting Chelsea ahead by two goals before 30 minutes had expired with two almost identical strikes past PSG goaltender Gianluigi Donnarumma. The English phenom would then assist new teammate Joao Pedro just before halftime to essentially put the match to bed.

A tired PSG had no answers and became increasingly truculent in the heat and frustration of a scoreless second half. Joao Neves was tossed in the 83rd minute for pulling the hair of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella. Joao Pedro was another target for PSG’s petulance, perhaps tracing to his exuberant celebration after his first half goal that spelled doom for the Parisians. Following the match, the Brazilian was at the center of a scuffle where the defeated PSG players and their manager decided to humiliate themselves even further. PSG defender Achraf Hakimi and towering goalkeeper Donnarumma seemed to initiate the verbal sparring with Chelsea’s new addition post-match. Manager Enrique then made a fool of himself by physically assaulting the opposing player, an action that could earn him a FIFA imposed suspension.

No one would have predicted Chelsea to have inflicted such pain on a Champions League winner which had conceded only one goal across its first six matches of this Club World Cup. It was a tough pill for PSG to swallow on Sunday but euphoria for Chelsea and its supporters. One new supporter, however, was not entirely welcome. US President Donald Trump awarded the medals and trophy to the winners and then seemed unwilling to leave the center of the trophy lift celebration. FIFA President Gianni Infantino finally escorted Trump away as Chelsea captain Reese James and Cole Palmer looked on confusedly before finally letting loose with their well-earned exultations.

This championship will only stoke the growing expectations of Chelsea supporters who will see their club as a Premier League title contender next season. Chelsea won five of their last six Premier League matches this past season to earn fourth place in the table and a Champions League berth. A European Conference League title followed just days after the Premier League ended. That momentum continued into this tournament with the Blues now having  won 14 of their past 16 matches. Recent transfers Joao Pedro and Liam Delap already look to be smart acquisitions. Jamie Gittens, another new signing from Borussia Dortmund, awaits his new teammates back in England. Estevao Willian, an 18-year-old referred to as “Little Messi,” scored against Chelsea in a Palmeiras jersey this tournament but will be donning Chelsea blue for this upcoming Premier League season. Andrey Santos, a substitute in Sunday’s title match, has returned from a successful loan at Strasbourg and is expected to be in the squad next season.

The influx of talent will, of course, require some outgoings. Perhaps the most significant departure is the in-process transfer of winger Noni Madueke to Arsenal. Madueke is expected to undergo his medical this week. Chelsea also has an “island of lost toys” who are not in Manager Maresca’s plan. That group would include Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix. Benfica is purportedly interested in Félix.

One individual performance on Sunday could give pause to a widely expected piece of Chelsea’s transfer strategy. Much maligned goalkeeper Robert Sanchez impressed Sunday with his six saves. The former Brighton keeper has been under fire from the moment he joined Chelsea, and he has fanned those flames with some poor decision making and critical mistakes. Sanchez was benched at one point his past season for Filip Jorgensen. Just this past week, Chelsea was rumored to be considering a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Sanchez, however, once again proved himself a solid shot stopper on Sunday and made none of the mistakes that have angered Chelsea supporters in the past.

There will be mixed opinions as to whether World Champion Chelsea can win the Premier League with their present goalkeeping.