A wonderful ascent in form and performance has allowed Newcastle United to bow out of 2024 with a bang.
Newcastle still have to travel to Old Trafford before the new year is ushered in, but if December is anything to go by, the visitors will be confident in their ability to leave Manchester United’s stomping ground with pockets full.
While Newcastle can approach 2025 with the renewed belief that they can throw down with the best that the Premier League has to offer, they will need to make some improvements to Eddie Howe’s squad.
Moreover, some players need to be sold. On that note, let’s have a look at the worst signings of the largely successful Howe era.
Eddie Howe's worst Newcastle signings
Regarding the current squad, Kieran Trippier is sure to be one of the first players out the door when the new year comes around, with Football Insider revealing that the 34-year-old is up for sale this January.
2024/25
10 (4)
0
0
2023/24
28 (26)
1
10
2022/23
38 (38)
1
7
2021/22
6 (5)
2
0
However, Trippier has been an incredible leader since signing for about £12m in January 2022, leaving Atletico Madrid to spearhead the PIF project on Tyneside. Father Time has simply crept up on him like the end of another year.
Looking at the genuinely bad signings, you’d have to pick Chris Wood out pretty quickly. The heavyset striker might be thriving for Nottingham Forest right now, but he was woeful for the Toon, costing £25m to prise away from Burnley in January 2022 and only scoring five times across 39 matches.
Matt Targett has also become a peripheral figure at St. James’ Park after showing initial promise when joining from Aston Villa for £15m in 2022. Really though, United have hit the jackpot more often than not.
There is a more recent signing who needs to be sold. Indeed, Odisseas Vlachodimos might just be the biggest flop of the lot.
Why Newcastle need to sell Odisseas Vlachodimos
Newcastle seemed to foster an urge for goalkeepers – and lots of them – this summer, bolstering their ranks with veteran John Ruddy and Nottingham Forest’s Vlachodimos, who was purchased for a curious £20m fee as Elliot Anderson headed the other way.
Nick Pope, Mark Gillespie and Martin Dubravka already occupied spaces in the Magpies’ senior set-up, and still do, with the bloated shot-stopping department raising the question: Why was Vlachodimos signed in the first place?
Vlachodimos, 30, has only played 45 minutes of senior football for Newcastle, replacing the injured Martin Dubravka at the interval against third-tier AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Oh sure, he’s made the Premier League bench on six occasions, but still he has not graced the top-flight pitch in black and white, featuring five times for the Tricky Trees last term.
The one-time Benfica shot-stopper has Champions League pedigree but can’t buy a minute under Howe’s wing. Nick Pope is sidelined for the foreseeable but Dubravka is deputising.
In fact, as per Transfermarkt, Vlachodimos’ £6m market value is even less than Trippier’s (roughly £7m) who is further into the aged stage of his career and approaching the end of his bumper contract.
Newcastle retain a long-term interest in Burnley’s James Trafford and this could be a move that is realised in the coming months. Vlachodimos – who was reportedly told he could leave as early as August – was clearly a PSR-related transfer and his future is sure to be set elsewhere.
Market Movers
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