Newcastle must act quickly in January to save stuttering season

By Ryan Baldi

Football

Wed December 31, 2025 · 13h ago

As the 2025-26 Premier League season reaches its midway point, Newcastle United find themselves staring at a table that makes for uncomfortable reading.

Their calendar year ends on a relative high with a 3-1 win over Burnley, but the broader picture is far from rosy. Tenth place, seven wins from 19 games and adrift of the European conversation they fully expected to be part of. This was meant to be a season of consolidation at worst and progression at best. Instead, it has drifted into something that feels worryingly rudderless, with urgency now replacing optimism as the prevailing mood on Tyneside.

The warning signs were there long before a ball was kicked. Newcastle’s summer was dominated by the drawn-out saga surrounding Alexander Isak, whose eventual move to Liverpool dragged deep into the window and cast a shadow over preparations. It was a draining, destabilising process, leaving Eddie Howe juggling uncertainty while rivals strengthened decisively.

Compounding matters, Newcastle missed out on several priority targets as prices rose and Profit and Sustainability Rules tightened their grip, forcing compromises that never quite sat comfortably with the club’s ambitions.

Yet even allowing for that imperfect build-up, Newcastle should be doing better than this. There is enough talent in the squad to suggest that 10th flatters neither performances nor potential. Bruno Guimaraes remains one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders, Sandro Tonali is one of its classiest playmakers, Anthony Gordon one of its most dynamic attackers and the emergence of Nicolas Woltemade has ensured the Isak-shaped hole has not swallowed the attack whole.

The problem is not a lack of ability, but a lack of cohesion, consistency and, increasingly, depth.

Woltemade, at least, has been an unequivocal success. Signed with a degree of scepticism given the circumstances of Isak’s departure, the towering German has adapted to English football with impressive speed. Seven Premier League goals in 16 appearances is an excellent return, particularly for a player adjusting to a new league and carrying the burden of being the primary focal point. His presence has given Newcastle a platform, someone to build attacks around and occupy defenders, and in many ways he has helped supporters move on from the trauma of losing their star striker.

Unfortunately, Woltemade’s impact has been dulled by issues elsewhere. Injuries have bitten hard in recent weeks, sapping momentum just as Newcastle desperately needed a run. Anthony Elanga, the £55 million summer signing expected to inject pace and directness into the wide areas, has been ruled out, removing a crucial outlet in transition. Yoan Wissa, another major recruit, has barely been able to get going due to persistent fitness problems, leaving Newcastle short of options and rhythm in the final third. His strike against Burnley provides hope of another, much-needed scoring threat.

The situation at the back has been even more concerning. Defensive absences have forced makeshift solutions, disrupting partnerships and eroding confidence. Newcastle have looked vulnerable far too often, conceding soft goals and struggling to manage games when under pressure.

That fragility has been brutally exposed away from home, where results have dried up alarmingly. That the victory over Burnley – who sit second from bottom and have not won since October – was just their second away win in their last 13 attempts, stretching back to April, tells its own story. You do not push for Europe with that kind of travel sickness.

Even so, injuries cannot explain everything. Performances have been flat, decision-making hesitant and the intensity that once defined Howe’s Newcastle has too often been absent. There have been flashes, but no sustained spell of form to suggest this is merely a temporary dip.

The good news for Newcastle is that the gaggle of would-be European-qualification contenders above them are equally inconsistent. A few weeks of rejuvenated form could see the Magpies’ season take on a fresh complexion.

January, then, looms large. Newcastle’s relationship with the transfer market is now complicated by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, which have curtailed spending and forced painful decisions. None was more symbolic than the sale of home-grown midfielder Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest, a deal that stung emotionally and looks even harsher now that Anderson is thriving and being spoken about as a £100 million-rated player. That episode underlined the tightrope Newcastle are walking, balancing ambition with compliance.

But constraints do not excuse inertia. Newcastle must find a way to strengthen key areas, particularly in midfield, where control and energy have been inconsistent. AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit has been linked as a longer-term solution. The 19-year-old is not a prolific scorer or creator, but his intelligence and positional discipline could bring balance, allowing Guimaraes to operate higher up the pitch where his influence can be more damaging. A summer move is thought more likely, but Newcastle’s situation may demand earlier action.

Another intriguing name is Monaco’s Lamine Kamara. The dynamic Senegalese midfielder fits the profile Eddie Howe appears to be targeting: mobile, aggressive, capable of driving through the middle third. Kamara is currently on AFCON duty, which complicates any January move, but Monaco are said to be open to a mid-season sale. For Newcastle, that represents both an opportunity and a risk, but one that may be worth taking given the stakes.

The broader point is simple. Newcastle cannot afford to drift through January hoping injured players return and form magically improves. With half a season still to play, Europe is not out of reach, but only if decisive action is taken. Reinforcements do not need to be glamorous; they need to be effective, addressing clear weaknesses and restoring the intensity that once made Newcastle so difficult to play against.

Eddie Howe has rebuilt this club once already. Now, only a minor tweaking is required to save a season threatening to slip quietly away. Still, Newcastle must move quickly and boldly. Hesitation now would not be caution. It would be surrender.

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