Newcastle United Has A Midfield Problem And Nobody Is Talking About It

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 15: Joe Willock of Newcastle United looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Newcastle United FC at Etihad Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Getty Images

This was the summer in which Newcastle United was supposed to set its own pace and control the narrative. The contrast between the club on and off the pitch is immense, and it has led to some major misconceptions around its prospects and general state at the moment.

Supporters have been thrilled to recount last season as the greatest in history, and for good reason. Newcastle ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy and then qualified for the Champions League, achievements that were expected to create a strong foundation in this transfer window. But the cold, hard truth is, the club was in no way prepared for that success from a structural standpoint; head coach Eddie Howe’s work on the training pitch, coupled with recruitment of excellent players meant the team took the club to new heights.

From the top, there is no reassuring noise or direction. The CEO, Darren Eales, has been serving his notice since September after stepping down on health grounds; Sporting Director Paul Mitchell left on the eve of the summer with little warning. Neither have been replaced.

What made the success of last year all the more incredible was the turbulence that preceded it. Forced sales due to the threat of a Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) breach, leading to an unsettled locker room, with no major first team signings, all was not well. This summer was supposed to be when mistakes were amended, but instead cracks have only deepened.

One of those players most upset last summer was Alexander Isak, and the ongoing saga amid interest from Liverpool is born of the chaos upstairs. The club reneged on promises of a new contract, fuelling his anger, but don’t seem capable of finding a replacement worthy to let him go. Benjamin Sesko is likely to join the long list of players to reject a move to St James’ Park; Anthony Elanga is the only new arrival so far.

Isak and the circus around him has created an almighty distraction for Newcastle, particularly since he didn’t travel on the pre-season tour of Asia. But Newcastle already needs a striker to replace Callum Wilson, the defender chase is on hold, and the need for a goalkeeper is only now being dealt with by Aaron Ramsdale’s impending arrival.

Newcastle United needs midfield reinforcements

Yet, even if Newcastle managed to sign adequate cover for all of those positions, it still wouldn’t be fully ready for the new campaign. There is a real conundrum in midfield, which is hardly being discussed at all outside of the club. In fact, because Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali have become such a reliable and effective trio, one of the best in the Premier League, it is seen as one of the least concerning areas. As with the club as whole, scratch the surface and the situation is far from healthy.

The sale of Sean Longstaff to Leeds United has left Howe with just five senior options, with Lewis Miley and Joe Willock added to those named above. Although Howe said he would like to see Longstaff replaced this summer in an ideal world, given the difficulty solving more pressing problems in the squad and the relative lack of time until the transfer window shuts (just a month), it hardly seems likely.

With Willock, once a vital member of the first team picture thanks to his athletic build and unwavering energy only for injuries to plague him since 2023, going down with an Achilles problem in defeat to a K-League XI in South Korea, more questions have been asked.

The issue isn’t said to be serious, but here’s the thing, Willock has been fully fit for a year and consistently struggled for form last season. His performances, once a driving force in Newcastle’s entire approach, dwindled to the point he became a passenger, and pre-season hasn’t brought about the sort of required upturn. Sure, his injury issues will undoubtedly play a part, but he hasn’t shown enough to push the team on.

And so arrives another contradiction; Howe says signings must improve the first team at a high standard, yet aside from a few rumblings of interest from Premier League clubs, there has been no talk of Willock being replaced. Because there are so many other more important issues, Willock’s form will not be scrutinized enough. When the Saudi Arabian-led project began in 2021, surely the idea would have been for poor form to have consequences.

At the back end of the previous era under Mike Ashley, some players received arguably unjust contract renewals because they were bodies in a certain position. Better wasn’t sought; if they could play, they were good enough. There are a number of ways the club is now resembling its former guise, despite a world of difference in wealth and purported ambition, and this is one of them. Longstaff needs replacing because there is a gap in the squad, and even that is unlikely. Willock is at least an option, who appears not to be urgently in need of change.

There are many reasons for Newcastle’s current malaise. PSR is one of them, but many are of its own doing. That lack of direction creates a lack of standards; Howe and the players have railed against it brilliantly. But the club is too reactive, constantly replacing out of necessity, because there is a space to fill in the boardroom or squad. As a result, upgrading is an afterthought and the midfield is suffering because of that.