It would be safe to say that not every Newcastle United summer transfer move has produced results so far. Nico Gonzalez looks like someone who will be a starter moving forward. Matias Fernandez-Pardo seems destined for a similar role once he settles into English football. Amar Dedic has been an absolute revelation and looks set to give Tino Livramento some real competition for the starting spot at right-back.
But then, there are others who are not showing the same impact on this team. One could argue that that was to be expected, considering the profile of players Newcastle United signed in the summer.
They brought in players who are in their early 20s or late teens. So, one could never rely on them to come in and make an immediate impact on the team. And unsurprisingly, that has been the case.
Players like Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba have struggled for game time at Newcastle United so far
There are quite a few players at Newcastle United who have come in this summer for significant transfer fees but have not had the desired impact. Two names that come to mind immediately are Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba.
Toure was signed from Hoffenheim for around £42 million. On the other hand, Bamba arrived from AS Monaco in a £34 million deal.
As for the former, he has scored one goal but has not been the regular starter that most would have predicted. He was seen my many as having similar potential to Ousmane Dembele at Borussia Dortmund.
On the other hand, Bamba has struggled to get into a midfield that is light on quality options, already following the departure of key players like Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.
While some might view it as a worrying sign for Newcastle United, Matthias Jaissle appears to see it as part of the process. According to Newcastle World, the manager said when asked about the duo’s lack of playing time:
“Bazou, it’s really clear. He’s a young lad, came as a new signing and he’s doing a great job. You see the steps now in training, he’s really committed.
“It’s sometimes in football that if you have other players performing as well on a really high level, like Harvey [Barnes] at the moment, then you’re getting a little bit less playing time. But we said that from the beginning, especially for the young lads and the new signings, that we give them time.
“It’s the same with AB [Aladji Bamba] for instance. We’re not pushing, especially not externally, pushing them in getting more minutes. It’s normal progress and we’re supporting them to getting there.”
Newcastle need to be patient with their summer transfer signings
This was always going to be a long process. If you thought otherwise then the time has come to reframe those expectations around the youngsters who have been brought in.
They need to be given the time to develop. And if it works out, some might prove to be regular starters in the long run. Just look at how things have panned out at Chelsea.
Most of their signings have not worked out. But then, there have been players like Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo, Jorrel Hato and a few others who have done well over time.
‘Time’ is the important word there. Newcastle United need to give these players time to find their feet, and so do the fans. There is no point in putting unnecessary pressure on them.
