After an intense and promising Premier League campaign that saw Newcastle United clinch a place in the Champions League with a fifth-place finish, things have taken a toxic turn as the opening day of the new season approaches.
While they missed out on Champions League football last season, Eddie Howe’s men more than made up for it, lifting their first major trophy since 1969 and their first domestic trophy in 70 years.
Overall, it was a very successful year. Now, the wheels might be falling off.
Like Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother, or the lead character in almost any sitcom, Newcastle are facing harsh waves of rejection as they try to land key signings to improve their squad.
Not only that, but the players they already have are busy packing their bags and searching for greener grass.
Top scorer and attacking talisman Alexander Isak handed in a transfer request ahead of an expected (but increasingly complicated) move to Liverpool, and the Swedish striker is yet to participate in any pre-season matches or team training sessions during the summer.
With things turning sour behind the scenes, the former Real Sociedad forward has been training separately from his Newcastle teammates at the request of Eddie Howe, who has concerns about his potential negative impact on the squad.
Newcastle have been attempting, unsuccessfully, to find a replacement for the Swedish international, with a handful of rejections adding more stress to all parties.
They value Isak at £150 million, and he is contracted to the club until 2028, so unless Liverpool are willing to break the bank (for the third time this transfer window), it’s unlikely he will be granted the escape he is seeking.
So far, the Magpies have been rejected by Benjamin Sesko, who chose Manchester United, Hugo Ekitike, who chose Liverpool, James Trafford, who chose Manchester City, and João Pedro, who chose Chelsea.
They also parted ways with Callum Wilson, Lloyd Kelly, and Sean Longstaff.
It hasn’t all been doom & gloom, however.
The club have managed to fortify their security between the sticks with the signing of former Arsenal goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale with the English shotstopper joining on a season-long loan from the relegated Southampton.
The club has also managed to secure the signing of former Manchester United man, Anthony Elanga, who established himself in the Premier League in a successful two-year spell at Nottingham Forest.
Despite two strong signings, the departure of key players, combined with the transfer drama surrounding Alexander Isak, has certainly dampened team spirits as the club prepares to build on last year’s success.
But it’s not just their transfer business that has marred them in the off-season.
On the field, it has been a disaster.
Six preseason games played; zero wins. It’s not looking good.
They started with a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Celtic in Glasgow which thankfully got their worst defeat out of the way first.
A slender, but hard-fought 3-2 defeat against Arsenal showed promise.
Anthony Elanga opened the scoring with his first goal in black & white before the hosts struck twice before the break.
Alex Murphy’s equaliser before the hour mark kept them competitive, and it was a late Martin Ødegaard penalty that decided the tie.
They proceeded to lose 1-0 to a K-League All-Stars team in South Korea.
But hey, it’s better than their 8-0 defeat against the A-League All-Stars last year.
Their 1-1 draw once again showed they weren’t out of their depth against strong Premier League opposition, but also suggests they are lacking the cutting edge that they will need to compete for a Champions League place again this season.
A last-minute equaliser denied them their first win of the pre-season, as relegation survivors RCD Espanyol netted late to secure a 2-2 draw.
Against another strong Spanish opponent, Eddie Howe’s men were outclassed in a 2-0 defeat at St. James’ Park.
With no more pre-season games to draw on, and Alexander Isak expected to miss the start of the EPL season as this transfer saga drags on, Newcastle are going to face a sobering reality when they commence the new season away against Aston Villa this weekend.
They face Liverpool ten days later, so they will need to get their affairs in order or risk falling behind in the early stages of the season.
So, are Newcastle United in danger of underperforming?
Potentially.
If they were to lose Alexander Isak and fail to replace him before the transfer window closes, it will be very difficult for them to compete against the top sides in the Premier League.
With Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea all recruiting well, they like strong candidates for a top-four finish.
Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have recruited effectively and will desperately be seeking to bounce back after their embarrassing 15th and 17th place finishes last season.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, who came so close to Champions League football last year, will be fired up and ready to go again this season, and Crystal Palace, with their recent FA Cup and Community Shield success, will be looking to establish themselves with a top-half finish in the Premier League.
While there’s no major reason to panic yet at Newcastle, the 2025/26 season is shaping up to be one of the most tightly contested and competitive seasons in recent years.
Without a dependable striker in the box and unity inside the dressing room, a failure to rectify these issues behind the scenes may be their downfall.