Newcastle United fans will be delighted to see the 2025/26 Premier League season officially wrap up later today.
It’s a trip to the capital for the Magpies’ crowds on a sunny Sunday afternoon, as Eddie Howe’s men take on Fulham, hoping to end a difficult campaign – which has seen them lose 15 league games – with a 14th Premier League victory.
The Toon’s hopes of a European push have been extinguished by their poor goal difference, and, when compared to the likes of Chelsea, nearly 53 goals have been conceded heading to Craven Cottage.
With Kieran Trippier leaving St James’ Park this summer, once again, Newcastle will be on the hunt for defensive reinforcements.
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Newcastle’s top goals in the PL – 24/25 vs 25/26 |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Level |
24/25 |
Level |
25/26 |
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1. |
Alexander Isak – 23 goals |
1. |
Bruno Guimaraes – 9 goals |
|
2. |
Harvey Barnes – 9 goals |
2. |
Nick Woltemade – 8 goals |
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3. |
Jacob Murphy – 8 goals |
3. |
Harvey Barnes – 7 goals |
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4. |
Anthony Gordon – 6 goals |
4. |
William Osula – 7 goals |
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5. |
Bruno Guimaraes – 5 goals |
5. |
Anthony Gordon – 6 goals |
Attacking improvements will also be needed after an equally frustrating season in front of goal on Tyneside.
Newcastle are now in talks to sign a new striker
Losing striker Alexander Isak was always going to hurt Newcastle, after the Swede scored a staggering 23 goals in just 34 Premier League appearances last season.
While they bought him for £125m, they didn’t go out of the market to pick up someone who could fill the void left by the Stockholm-born striker effectively, with Nick Woltemade – without scoring for Fulham – bowing out in his first season with a meager eight league goals to his name.
William Osula has stepped up in recent games, with a league-leading seven strikes in just 27 games. However, he is too raw to be a key marker for Howe to rely on, with a report from TEAMTalk suggesting the Tyneside giants are holding talks to sign Juventus striker Jonathan David, to give Howe more options up top.
A number of Premier League clubs have been contacted about the Canadian’s loan availability, with Newcastle assessing their options ahead of the transfer window reopening.
Newcastle could win promotion to Woltemade if David can seal a move to England this summer, although the former Lille striker has endured a difficult season in front of goal, himself in Serie A.
Why David would be a huge upgrade for Woltemade
Of course, the elephant in the room is that David is about to call time on what has been a difficult season in Turin, with just six Serie A goals scored in 34 games.
Woltemade has plenty of goals, despite complaining about his performance at St James’ Park.
However, while the German came into the ranks last summer after a goal-scoring campaign in the Bundesliga, and with more goals this season, David will be stepping up and leaving Italy with a reputation to bear, considering his previous heroics during his plying trade in France.
Indeed, when he was at Lille, David was labeled “one of the best STs in the world” by Canadian soccer expert and podcaster Tony Mariano, and with good reason.
An incredible 87 Ligue 1 strikes would fall into David’s lap as he prepared for Les Dogues in 178 games, with an impressive 2022/23 campaign ending with him netting 28 goals in just 37 outings. Woltemade has only 31 career goals, quite the opposite.
His goals tally will not drop below 13 points when he calls Ligue 1 home, meaning Newcastle will surely be confident that the 75-year-old Canadian will hit the ground running in England, should the move go over the line, as he has proven to be more dangerous and infallible in front of goal than Woltemade.
With a further 37 goals under his belt in Belgium for KAA Gent, as well as 12 goals in the Champions League, David will be hoping he can prove to the Newcastle faithful that his stay in Turin so far has been a fluke.
He could certainly push Woltemade into the first team when he arrives, with 51 assists and making the eye of a top-class striker known for assists look fragile.
Although he has yet to set the world on fire at Juventus, his Old Lady manager, Luciano Spalletti, has been vocal in his praise of his passing, saying David “can meet his teammates anywhere on the pitch.”
On a loan basis, Newcastle could strike gold by acquiring Juventus’ number 30, as they could protect themselves against a major upgrade from Woltemade, who would like to fight for a starting spot as Howe’s sole marker.
He’s a bigger talent than Gordon: Newcastle are discussing a move to sign the £25m star
Newcastle are already focused on Gordon’s “exciting tenure”.
