- Newcastle must prevent the loss of key players
- Isak Sagas effect & deja vu with Tonali
- European football crucial
Newcastle United’s project has faced some significant challenges in the past year. Alexander Isak’s saga last summer has had a lasting effect on the club, and history now seems to be repeating itself with Sandro Tonali.
The project’s ambition is to be competing regularly with Europe’s elite by 2030. In order to do that, the Magpies need to find a way to keep their top players at the club beyond a short stint.
If those mistakes continue to be repeated over the next few years, any hope of becoming an established trophy-challenging club will be an almost insurmountable task.
Isak’s Departure and Long-Lasting Effect
For Newcastle, last summer was an absolute shambles for a variety of reasons. But each and every one was perpetuated by Alexander Isak – both in his decision to leave and the way the club handled it.
The saga lasted from the early stages of the window through to the point when Isak went AWOL. He missed both pre-season and early Premier League games during that period.
Now, the £125m fee for his services may have seemed like apt compensation on the surface. But, in reality, that money would do nothing to curb the effects of losing one of the best strikers in world football.
The club scrambled to find replacements, with Liverpool having already signed the backup they wanted, Hugo Ekitike, during Newcastle’s indecision. It was a stark reminder of where the club sits in the food chain.
It had a knock-on effect on the squad’s quality. The preparation of Howe and his men, and the overall closeness of the dressing room, with players’ opinions reportedly split.
All of that alongside heading into yet another gruelling Champions League season. It’s safe to say it sent the club into disarray.
Tonali to Meet the Same Fate?
After a year which has seen the club feel every single one of those aforementioned Isak knock-on effects, the possibility of a repeat this summer is becoming increasingly real. That is because Sandro Tonali is attracting interest from clubs like Manchester United. He isn’t doing anything to shut down the interest either.
There are still two and a half months until the transfer window officially opens, and rumours are usually considered just that at this stage. Rumours.
But there are growing reports that Tonali is open to leaving the club. If the reports were nonsense, the player or his agent would have likely called off the media and rubbished them by now. As of yet, that hasn’t been the case.
This means that Newcastle could well be facing yet another Isak-type saga in the coming window. One which can’t derail the entirety of next season like the Swede did last summer.
This Can’t Keep Happening
If Tonali does leave, it begins an unwanted pattern for the Magpies. It would mark two major players leaving in two consecutive summer windows, something that can’t happen if challenging the elite is the aim.
Not only does it position Newcastle as a stepping-stone club for those looking to propel themselves into the spotlight for a big move. But it makes it almost impossible to keep progressing. Those who could bridge the gap aren’t staying long enough to make it happen.
Take James Trafford, for example, a player who is reportedly at the top of Newcastle’s list this summer. Howe attempted to sign him from Burnley last year.
But Man City utilised a right-of-refusal clause and also made a bid, leading Trafford to choose Pep Guardiola’s side instead.
Now, just a year on, Newcastle are looking to sign him once again. Given that the player has already shown he is happy to accept offers from bigger clubs at the drop of a hat. Is signing him really the best course of action?
How to Stop It
Firstly, signing players like Bruno Guimarães, who have a loyal side that far outweighs the need for success but can still develop into top players, is crucial. You can never entirely ensure that a player will not want to move on to bigger things.
But making sure that, no matter the circumstance, Newcastle have some sort of European football every season is a must. One in the Champions League, followed by one with no Europe, is not a sustainable model for attracting and retaining project-defining players.
The trajectory now appears to be one centred around signing young, high-potential players to grow with the club. Exemplified by the recent signing of 2009-born Johan Martinez from Independiente del Valle.
That may still lead players to move on. But the hope is that they can quickly establish a regular European outfit, making it plausible to entice top players to stay.
If Not Prevent, Limit the Damage
Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible for Newcastle to prevent players from leaving in the current situation. But there are ways for Howe’s men to limit the damage these sagas cause going forward.
During the Isak saga, the club tried to hold on and keep a wantaway Swede. Attempting to almost ‘big brother’ Liverpool by making them pay what they wanted.
In reality, all that did was delay the inevitable outcome: Isak leaving. Newcastle didn’t get the £150m they wanted anyway, and Ekitike, the wanted replacement, ended up at Liverpool as well.
In future, if a player makes it obvious they want out, letting them leave immediately is the best outcome. Trusting the recruitment team to find a suitable replacement and reinvesting the rest should be the focus.
Because, as has been shown, trying to prevent the inevitable does nothing good. It merely causes massive problems for the club’s future.
But allowing those players to leave at the first opportunity also requires the club to have contingency plans in place. In the case of last summer, that was not the outcome.
Both Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa appeared to be panic buys who didn’t really fit with the clubs’ approach and wanted a striker prototype. Something further evidenced by how Howe has used them.
Losing key players is one thing, but being adamant about keeping them, refusing to prepare for their departure, and then being lost when they do? That is nothing short of criminal for a professional football club.
