It’s been a summer of change and uncertainty for Newcastle United. How much can they spend? How many star players will leave St James’ Park?
Anthony Gordon has already left the exit and joined Barcelona in a surprising move that no one expected.
There was certainly interest in Gordon, but seeing the Catalan giants securing his services raised a few eyebrows.
The winger is not the only player who could leave. Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães are attracting interest across the Premier League, while Lewis Hall is in the spotlight at Manchester United amid claims he is not happy with the way the season ended in the North East.
Those who leave will need replacements, and the priority at this point is to secure someone with similar qualities to Gordon.
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A year after spending big on both Ioan Wissa and Nick Woltemaid, the idea that the Toon would have to re-enter the market to replace Alexander Isak is almost unbelievable.
Last summer saw a melodrama unfold in Newcastle. Isak has not trained with the first team and is no doubt paying the price for the lack of pre-season after his move to Liverpool.
Regardless of what happened with Isaac, Eddie Howe and company failed to get the recruiting right. Wissa could hardly kick the ball due to injury, while Woltemade was preferred as number 10.
Links have been made this summer with players like Dusan Vlahovic and Darwin Nunez, but their wages could be astronomical. It seems unlikely that a deal between these two companies will be concluded.
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Newcastle United have high transfer targets this summer.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus may be more likely to leave. In fact, according to Sports Boom, Newcastle have joined Everton in the race to sign the five-time Premier League champion.
The Magpies have already begun negotiations to understand the player’s availability and aspirations for the player this summer. It is believed that Howe recognizes the Brazilian forward as a player who can take his team to the next level.
Jesus signed for Arsenal for a transfer fee of £45 million, but is reported to be worth just around £20 million due to a series of injuries.
How to compare Jesus and Gordon and Osla
If you had asked Newcastle supporters a year ago who their No. 9 shirt would be at the end of the 2025/26 season, it is unlikely they would have mentioned William Osla’s name.
Sadly, he usurped both Waltemaid and Wissa in the battle for the club’s leading centre-forward position. Despite my initial doubts, he seemed genuine.
The Dane finished the season with five goals in his last eight games. He also finished the season with the highest conversion rate of any Premier League player.
Highest conversion rate – Premier League 25/26 | |
|---|---|
player | conversion rate |
1) Will Osla | 30.4% |
2) Noah Okafor | 22.9% |
3) Danny Welbeck | 22.6% |
4) Nick Waltemaid | 22.6% |
5) i.e. junior croup | 22.0% |
6) Victor Gokeres | 21.2% |
A tall striker with a very interesting profile who can play on the shoulder of the defensive line or sneak in behind. Compared to Gordon, he’s more of an out-and-out striker.
The Barcelona man is now a winger by trade, but has played in the top flight 16 times this season, scoring nine goals in the process. Like Osla, he plays with the final shoulder, but the speed of his work is second to none. He’s a lively presence and a real nuisance for centre-backs.
Jesus is no different in that respect. He may not boast the physical attributes of Osla, but he is technically sound and knows where the back of the net is.
Not too long ago, in the 2017-18 season, they had the fifth-best conversion rate in the division at 24.1%. Only 10 strikers had a higher conversion rate in 2020/21. Past experience may be at play here, but as Gabriel Martinelli said when Jesus arrived at the Emirates, he is “one of the best strikers in the world”.
That was a few years ago, but the words still ring true today. A torn ACL never helps anyone. Before this problem sidelined him for much of 2025, he was arguably in the best form of his life, scoring six goals in six games during the festival period. Like Osla, he’s kind of a streaky player.
Some would say that Jesus, now 29 years old, is past his prime. Perhaps that’s true, but he also scored for the team that won the title just last month.
He was outstanding against Crystal Palace on the final weekend and on any other day he could have scored a hat-trick. He hit the post, had a one-on-one, was saved by Dean Henderson, and finished smartly at the near post.
Like Osra, he is also a difficult customer. He has the ability to explode beyond the last man, as he did in goal at Selhurst Park, and like Gordon, he is an incredibly hard worker.
Jesus has always been exceptional for Arsenal in pressing from the front. In the Premier League this season, he has won the ball back 4.06 times per 90 minutes. That was actually better than Gordon, who got the ball back 2.83 times.
It is difficult to quantify efforts based on data alone. The eye test suggests that Jesus is always willing to work hard and lead the press, as he often did when Gordon was still at St. James’ College.
Don’t expect Jesus to be a key player immediately upon arrival, but he remains one of the best forwards in the league. You can’t win a few Premier League trophies just because you’re a bad player.
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