Long Reads
Author: Ciaran Donaghy - Senior Football Writer
With Trippier gone and Livramento touted to move too, we look at why Newcastle United should look to Nnamdi Collins as the perfect replacement
Ross Wilson is overseeing a summer rebuild that will define the future of PIF's Newcastle United project. With Nick Pope no longer the answer, we take a look at 3 goalkeepers, Wilson should consider as Pope's long-term successor.
Newcastle United welcome Aston Villa to St James’ Park in a season-defining clash. Here’s the latest team news, predicted XI, Eddie Howe’s press conference comments, key battles (including the Morgan Rogers long-shot threat), plus my prediction and what to expect.
A proud night at St James’ Park, one where plenty clicked. But it came with a warning label. PSV’s errors were punished, but big issues still not solved, and bigger questions still await in the Premier League. Let's enjoy the Champions League ride, but don’t get carried away.
Newcastle United are a €398m club now, but Deloitte’s Money League numbers show the job isn’t done. Matchday has plateaued, broadcast remains volatile, and the real story is commercial growth, which surged to €139m in 2025. With PSR being replaced by squad cost ratio rules from 2026/27, revenue growth is no longer optional. Newcastle’s realistic next target for 2025/26 should be a €450m season.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is one of Europe’s most interesting teenage midfielders, and he’s exactly the type of wonderkid Newcastle United should be monitoring. The Lille midfielder is already playing major minutes in Ligue 1 and Europe, and his profile fits Newcastle’s hybrid 6/8 system built around Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali.
Newcastle United’s injury crisis has exposed a full-back depth problem that can’t be solved with stopgaps forever. With Livramento and Schär out, the focus naturally shifts to the right, but the left side is just as fragile. Newcastle are one Lewis Hall injury away from chaos, which is why a smart January left-back signing feels unavoidable. Enter Jordy Bos: a modern, athletic full-back who could rotate with Hall without a major drop-off.
Newcastle United don’t just need a right-back signing. They need someone who can do multiple jobs, keep the team functioning, and protect the players they can’t afford to lose. Mingueza does that. He frees Lewis Miley from emergency duty, gives Newcastle United genuine cover across both flanks, and protects Lewis Hall’s minutes at the exact moment his return needs managing, not gambling.