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Guardian writers’ predicted position: 17th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 12th
Prospects
As David Hopkinson, Newcastle’s chief executive, recently reflected: “This is a moment of change. Life is all about change but there are certain moments of punctuation and we are in one of those now”. With Eddie Howe having stepped down, applying a full stop to almost five largely successful years as manager, there is a new head coach in Matthias Jaissle. The 38-year-old German excelled during previous postings in Austria and Saudi Arabia but has never managed in England, let alone in the Premier League.
Jaissle’s task is complicated by Newcastle, who finished a disappointing 12th last season, selling arguably their three best players – Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães – to Barcelona, Tottenham and Arsenal respectively this summer. Along the way the wage bill has been slashed and spending rules complied with as the sporting director, Ross Wilson, reduces the squad’s average age quite significantly. Four of the first five close-season signings were aged 20 or under. Small wonder Hopkinson keeps referring to “Newcastle 2.0”.
Significantly, no one at the club is talking about Europe; the reality is that this season a top-10 finish would constitute a triumph. As Jaissle keeps reiterating, Newcastle have entered a “transitional” period. The way it pans out may well hinge on whether he can succeed where Howe failed and get the best out of last season’s twin attacking disappointments Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade. With Wissa excelling in pre-season, there is cause for cautious optimism. Bazoumana Touré, Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, three of the new boys, also do not look entirely out of place.
Off-field picture
On paper Newcastle’s majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), are the wealthiest in world football. But the sport’s spending rules are based on the balance between squad costs and commercial revenue and Newcastle’s income is around half of that of some key rivals.
They are now in a three-year “settlement agreement” with Uefa after breaching European cost control regulations and, in a bid to balance the books, have not merely sold Gordon, Tonali and Guimarães but implemented a policy of broadly signing players under 25 priced between £20m and £40m. “We were living beyond our means but at some point you have got to pay the credit card bill,” said Hopkinson. Meanwhile, the seemingly interminable wait for confirmation that a new training ground will be built near the airport at Woolsington and a decision as to whether to build a new stadium or redevelop St James’ Park endures.
Owner-fan relationship
Opinions about PIF – they own 85% of the club while the Reuben family hold the remaining 15% – are varied. At one end of the spectrum lies the pressure group NUFC Fans against Sportswashing who, admirably, do not miss an opportunity to highlight Saudi Arabia’s atrocious human right record. The vast majority of supporters are united in disappointment that PIF officials have no direct contact with fans or reporters. Bonds with the fanbase weakened when the popular former minority owner Amanda Staveley was ousted in a 2024 boardroom power struggle. Moreover, many Tynesiders had hoped the takeover would bring significantly greater local and regional regeneration.
The manager
Jaissle proved a serial trophy winner at RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli, winning two Asian Champions Leagues during his three year stint in Saudi Arabia. Hopkinson has described him as “a rock star”, while the man himself appears a high priest of pressing. Asked recently to describe his preferred style, Jaissle replied: “Front-footed, aggressive, vertical, high energy, intense and relentless.” Howe’s successor could easily pass as the centre-half he was until serious knee trouble ended his career in his mid-20s. Jaissle, who had played for Thomas Tuchel in Stuttgart’s youth teams and then Ralf Rangnick at Hoffenheim, immediately turned his attentions to coaching, beginning his new career as an assistant at Leipzig. Newcastle fans already delight in serenading him with choruses of “Oh Jaissle, I can boogie.”
Stat attack
How are Newcastle going to create chances this season? It’s hard to imagine a Premier League side losing their leading four chance creators in one transfer window but Newcastle have allowed that to happen. The departures of Guimarães, Tonali, Gordon and Kieran Trippier have left quite the hole. New signing Bazoumana Touré needs to make a fast start.
Star signing
Newcastle now have a genuine sweeper-keeper in Lukas Hornicek, the 24-year-old Czech Republic international who has joined for £26m from Braga. Hornicek’s footwork is so good he alternated between keeping goal and playing as a striker until well into his teens. Allied to excellent shot-stopping abilities and competence in the face of crosses, that kicking ability attracted plenty of admirers as Hornicek impressed during the 2025 European Under-21 Championships. Hornicek has been dubbed the “new Petr Cech” in his homeland.
Set for a breakthrough
Mason Miley, the young brother of 20-year-old midfielder Lewis, has impressed enormously during pre-season, shining during a narrow home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. His preferred position is as a defensive central midfielder. Miley joined Newcastle’s academy at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract earlier this summer. “Mason’s a young lad with the attitude we need; he has the right heart and the right quality,” said Jaissle. Mason is the third Miley to have graduated from Newcastle’s academy. His eldest brother Jamie, 22, is another midfielder, currently playing for Hartlepool in the National League.
World Cup impact
Tino Livramento missed the final five weeks of last season with a thigh injury but recovered in time to be called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup and even travelled to the United States. Unfortunately for the right-back, he was back home before his country’s opening game against Croatia after sustaining a calf injury in training. Livramento has undergone “minor” surgery this summer and hopes to return to action in early autumn. Meanwhile, Lewis Hall was desperately disappointed not to receive a World Cup call-up from Tuchel. The left-back has been hotly pursued by Manchester United all summer.
