Newcastle United are evolving, adapting to a new variant of Eddie Howe’s tactical ideology after a summer of change and upheaval.
Namely, the record-breaking sale of Alexander Isak to Premier League champions Liverpool rocked the boat and then some, but Newcastle have replaced Isak with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
With three goals in six games, Woltemade, 23, looks a real talent, described as the “problem and solution” by reporter Craig Hope, who was discussing United’s teething problems as they adapt to a different brand of striker who, albeit, has towering potential.
Wissa’s fortunes differ, however, having yet to play or even train with the first team after his move from Brentford this summer due to a knee injury.
For all the positive additions, though, the sense can’t be shaken that the Magpies have parted with several top talents in recent years, and they might have had a big impact this season and beyond.
As Howe himself has revealed, one of those players is Elliot Anderson, who the boss would love to welcome back to St. James’ Park.
Howe's latest comments on Elliot Anderson
In 2024, Newcastle sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest. The fee was mooted to be around £35m. Here was a top midfield talent, but PSR demanded levies from Newcastle, and this was a sacrifice PIF had to make.
In hindsight, the Toon chiefs must wish they had found another way to circumvent their financial problems. Hailed as a “phenomenal player” by Three Lions teammate Reece James, the 22-year-old has only gone from strength to strength since leaving his boyhood club, so complete in his midfield role.
Howe said this week that he wants the Geordie back at the club, but that won’t be an easy one to get over the line. Anderson is the centrepiece of the Tricky Trees project, and bringing him back to Tyneside would cost a pretty penny indeed.
“I don’t know [if he will come back] but certainly from my perspective I would love him to. It [his sale] didn’t sit right with me then, doesn’t sit right with me today that we, as a football club, were forced to make a decision that we didn’t want to make.
“And a player that had given everything to rise through the ranks here to try to play for Newcastle, that was ended by financial restrictions…”
Nonetheless, Newcastle can dream of a reunion. Anderson’s dynamic approach to his craft suggests he would be perfect alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, creative, crunching in the duel and a veritable workhorse.
Matches (starts)
37 (33)
6 (6)
Goals
2
0
Assists
6
1
Touches*
54.2
106.0
Pass completion
82%
89%
Big chances created
7
1
Key passes*
1.0
1.3
Dribbles*
1.0
1.0
Ball recoveries*
5.6
7.8
Tackles + interceptions*
2.5
4.0
Duels (won)*
6.5 (52%)
7.5 (55%)
It’s a great shame that Newcastle didn’t keep him in the ranks, but the decision was an understandable one.
Anderson wasn’t the only prospect who should have stayed put, though. Indeed, another was sold around the same time who has since proved themselves in the Premier League.
The other talent Newcastle should re-sign
If Yankuba Minteh ever wore the Newcastle shirt after completing his transfer from Danish side Odense Boldklub in 2023, it was not in a competitive capacity.
Now he plays in blue and white, having joined Brighton & Hove Albion one year ago in a £30m package. Last season, Minteh impressed for the Seagulls; raw and unpolished, yes, but the Gambian winger showcased his physical and technical qualities, scoring seven goals and assisting five more across all competitions.
Across six Premier League games so far this term, Minteh has scored once and registered two assists.
And the underlying data highlights why Brighton paid the big bucks for a young gem, untested in the English game after spending the 2023/24 season on loan in the Netherlands with Arne Slot’s Feyenoord.
As per data-driven platform FBref, he ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for successful take-ons, the top 5% for carries into the penalty area and the top 1% for tackles won per 90 over the past year.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
The 21-year-old has even won 6.8 duels per game in the Premier League so far, and though his distribution could use some work, he’s a real menace in the final third.
It’s something Newcastle know only too well. After all, Minteh has scored two goals in two matches against Newcastle, including a draw in the Premier League last season and as the Seagulls knocked Howe’s outfit out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals.
Following these blows, Spanish reporter Jose Alberto Chozas even called him “public enemy number one for Newcastle fans”, and understandably so at that.
If Minteh continues to make headway in the Premier League with Brighton, there’s every chance he will strike once again, and that’s something Howe cannot abide, given he had him in his grasp.
While Newcastle ended a lengthy search for a pacy right-sided forward this summer when landing Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a £55m fee, there’s little to suggest the Sweden international’s ceiling stretches higher than Minteh’s.
And anyway, where is the harm in having a duality of choice on the flank? Jacob Murphy is only 30 years old, but he won’t be around forever, and Minteh boasts the profile Howe looks for.
As with Anderson, it is going to cost Newcastle a hefty sum indeed, should they be interested in bringing Minteh back to the club in the coming years.
However, his trajectory on the south coast suggests that they must act swiftly, for Minteh is only getting better and better, and his price tag will rise concurrently.
TEAMtalk have recently revealed that a host of the Premier League’s top clubs are already sniffing around after witnessing the star’s early-season form, so Newcastle must pounce while they can.