Newcastle hit gold on the new Joelinton who’s worth way more than Manzambi

Honestly, who knows what the 2026/27 campaign has in store for Newcastle United, whose superstars are dropping like flies, but who are also arming themselves with exciting new players.

It feels like we could be headed toward something of a period of transition on Tyneside, but whether Eddie Howe can afford to suffer and build next season remains to be seen.

After such a frustrating 2025/26 campaign, fans are expecting a big facelift, and while that’s going to be difficult indeed, the arrival of Johan Manzambi could be a real game-changer.

What Manzambi will bring to Newcastle

Newcastle slipped and fell in the Premier League last season, and while Howe and co are trying to rebuild, they have been met with any number of obstacles already this summer, the likes of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon sold, skipper Bruno Guimaraes also in champions Arsenal’s sights.

It must feel to some that the Magpies stand at the bottom of an insurmountable wall, but having agreed a £51.5m fee to sign Manzambi this summer, the future may well be bright.

The Freiburg midfielder, who is only 20, has starred for Switzerland at the World Cup this summer, combining pace and physicality with a natural hunger for goals and assists up top.

This is merely a continuation of his efforts in Germany with Freiburg, where he has maybe been more measured and balanced in his efforts.

His power and capacity to star in various midfield positions could see him replace Joelinton, who, aged 29, feels like he lacks some of his former vim and vigour, having put in the hard yards over a long career with the Toon.

Swiss manager Yurat Makin also said “you can really use him in every position“, further underscoring the sense that this is Joelinton’s natural successor at St. James’ Park.

However, Newcastle could actually find they have another Joelinton-esque player waiting to be converted. He’s also worth even more than Switzerland’s rising superstar.

Newcastle already have a bigger talent than Manzambi

Newcastle have a cornucopia of rising stars hoping to break out onto the major stage, but they also have a few established players who, having underperformed last year, could form part of the revival next term.

Take Nick Woltemade, for example, who joined the Premier League side with a weight of expectation when signing from Stuttgart in a club-record £69m last summer, effectively replacing Alexander Isak after the Swedish striker left for Liverpool.

A strong start was not sustained, and Woltemade simmered down like a pot accidentally taken off the boil. The Germany international scored eight Premier League goals last season, but four of them came across his first five outings.

His “link-up play is mesmerising“, according to reporter Andy Sixsmith, and he found various degrees of success in a deeper playmaking role across the second half of the season, Howe thinking outside the box to overcome his glut of problems.

In fact, one analyst and football consultant remarked that his shift to a deeper area of the field has been “similar” to that long-ago decision to wrench Joelinton away from the No. 9 spot. A crisp and creative passer who also ranked highly among Premier League forwards for tackles made last year, there’s no question that there’s a top-class in there, latent.

Perhaps a refreshed Newcastle could bear dividends for him next season. After all, according to CIES Football Observatory, the 24-year-old’s market value has actually risen to £81m since his tumultuous maiden campaign in England, boding well for the future.

Manzambi’s actual market value, meanwhile, is said to be £67m, according to CIES.

Woltemade will need to dust himself off after a frustrating World Cup campaign with Germany, but he surely has the potential to thrive at Newcastle, and with Manzambi alongside him, the rangy attacker could cement the spirit of prime Joelinton over the next phase at St. James’ Park.