Newcastle United have thrived since the PIF takeover of 2021, with the transfer business under Eddie Howe more or less on the money.
Indeed, the Magpies have got bang for their buck, with Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman (injuries aside), all worth significantly more than they were paid for and playing instrumental roles in qualifying for the Champions League or performing within it.
Injuries did dominate throughout the 2023/24 season, pulling Newcastle away from European qualification, but there was one man who exceeded expectations above all others. Gordon thrived.
Anthony Gordon's 2023/24 season
Gordon was crowned Newcastle's Player of the Season last year after an exceptional campaign, posting 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions and being hailed for his "unbelievable" performances by teammate Guimaraes.
He'd struggled to settle after signing from Everton for £45m in January 2023 but has since gone from strength to strength and earned attention from Liverpool during the off-season, with a deal worth £75m almost being completed before United found alternative means to combat their PSR problem.
Newcastle will be delighted that he still sits on the books, having scored during his side's draw against Bournemouth in August, averaging 2.7 key passes and 5.3 successful duels per game (Sofascore) and entering a regular role for England's national set-up.
Matches (starts)
35 (34)
Goals
11
Assists
10
Touches
44.9
Shots (on target)*
2.3 (0.9)
Big chances created
16
Pass completion
82%
Key passes*
1.6
Tackles + interceptions*
1.8
Ball recoveries*
3.6
Dribbles*
1.5
Total duels won*
5.3
With 13 goals since the start of last season, Gordon is starting to look like quite the prolific presence. Although, there's actually a former Newcastle star sold after Gordon moved to Tyneside who has outscored him since – and in the Premier League too.
The player who's outscored Gordon since leaving
Indeed, Chris Wood flattered to deceive in black and white, but he's enjoyed a renaissance since signing for Nottingham Forest last year.
Wood joined Newcastle from Burnley for a £25m fee in January 2022, having been a steady goalscoring presence in the Premier League under Sean Dyche.
The hulking centre-forward was one of the torch-bearers at the start of the present era and arrived having hit double digits across each of his four full top-flight campaigns with the Clarets, but he fell by the wayside with Newcastle, scoring five goals over 39 total outings.
He was remarked to have looked "a bit lost" during his stay by pundit Tam McManus, scoring only twice across 18 Premier League games across the remainder of the term, also earning quite the pretty penny at £80k per week.
He's loving life at the City Ground. After starting slow due to an injury, Wood served as the attacking centrepiece last year, firing 14 goals home across 31 Premier League fixtures – including a hat-trick at St. James' Park that condemned Newcastle to a bitter winter defeat.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
The 32-year-old has also opened his account for the current campaign with two goals across three matches, crucial in starting the year off unbeaten. This means that he has scored 18 times since moving to Nottingham in January 2023, surpassing Gordon's 14 goals since joining the Toon at the same time.
Wood currently ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90 (0.67), as per FBref, so he's certainly enjoyed a resurgence.
Would he have hit such a vein of form under Howe? It's hard to tell, but Newcastle recouped £15m for his services and have elite strikers in Isak and Wilson. There aren't too many regrets.
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1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 12, 2024