Newcastle United never quite recovered from the sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool in 2025, the Swedish striker leaving for a British-record £125m fee.
Quite the sum, that, but Isak was the ultimate talisman for Eddie Howe’s side, and the disruption that his mutinous move to Merseyside created, along with a desperately poor summer transfer strategy, hurled the club down the ladder and toward a 12th-place Premier League finish.
There’s hope on Tyneside that the past few months have wiped the recruitment slate clean, that the sweeping changes will come together in a progressive new system, fronted by Matthias Jaissle, but it will take time.
It will also take more precise work in replacing the likes of Isak, with Nick Woltemade unable to cover the ground his predecessor roved so relentlessly at St. James’ Park.
Why Nick Woltemade is finished at Newcastle
Woltemade joined Newcastle from Stuttgart in a record-breaking £69m deal at the end of the 2025 summer transfer window. He was tipped for big things, and did start life on Tyneside with a bang.
Seven of the German international’s eight Premier League goals were posted before Christmas, and though his lanky frame and skilful link-up play make for a unique profile – with a 25% conversion rate also speaking toward his clinical ability when in shooting space – Woltemade drifted far too often, lacking the focal presence that Howe’s side needed.
Yoane Wissa is resurgent. The DR Congo striker, who joined the club from Brentford for around £50m last summer, is playing with more confidence and sharpness in the box. He hasn’t been perfect, but Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy have hardly been the perfect facilitators out wide in recent weeks.
Woltemade is out on loan with Juventus, but has been named as a substitute for their opening three Serie A fixtures. It’s unlikely he will be afforded the opportunity to impress under Jaissle’s wing next year unless he enjoys a dramatic upswing in form over in Italy.
Even then, it might not be enough. Jaissle decided that he needed to part ways with the underperforming striker, who lacked the right skillset to fit his aggressive system.
Now, the 38-year-old manager must do the same thing with another struggling Toon star.
Newcastle struggler must be given the Woltemade treatment
Jaissle has taken the reins at a testing time for Newcastle, but his early work in the hot seat can only be considered commendable. There is a ruthlessness to this tactician, whose aggressive tactics demand the right kind of players.
Once upon a time, Joelinton would have been perfect, but the 30-year-old is past his sell-by date, and with Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali both sold this summer, he must be next.
If Jaissle needs to hand him the Woltemade treatment, cutting him loose, so be it. Newcastle have made steady steps already this season, proving they can bounce back from such setbacks.
Once a force of nature on Tyneside, Joelinton is no longer that same beast, and while he is still only in the penultimate year of his contract at St. James’ Park, Jaissle has to consider cashing in during 2027, lest Joelinton block the pathway of one of the up-and-comers.
Newcastle have a youthful sheen. Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur arrived this summer for a combined fee of £58m. Steur has made a flying start to the season, but the ball-winning Bamba is still on the fringes. As he acclimatises to life in the Premier League, he surely has the skillset to replace Joelinton in the starting line-up.
The powerhouse might not have kicked a ball due to injury this season, but he fell down a notch or two last year, and cannot be expected to return to the one-time level that led to titles and Champions League excitement.
Joelinton arrived as a club-record striker signing and quickly became a flop, written off. But he reshaped his career and will draw down the curtain at Newcastle as a modern legend.
However, every dog has their day, and there’s no question that the £150k-per-week talent, Newcastle’s joint-highest-earning midfielder, should be moved on for the greater good of Jaissle’s tenure.