Newcastle United had one of the most difficult summer transfer windows in recent memory, and it has affected the start of their season too.

The Magpies saw Kieran Trippier leave at the end of his contract, manager Eddie Howe depart just two weeks before the season began, and all of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes depart for new challenges elsewhere.

Matthias Jaissle was brought in to lead the new era at St James' Park, and after a strong start with a draw against Liverpool and a win over Tottenham Hotspur, things haven't quite gone to plan since, with the team being thrashed 4-1 by Leeds and Coventry, and sitting in 11th in the Premier League table.

The manager has been keen to find a way to get new players involved in positive play, but a lot of the new signings have struggled with adapting to the Premier League, while injuries have also been a major problem.

Going forward has been a particular issue, with the Magpies scoring just 10 goals in their seven games, and conceding 14, with their top scorer being Anthony Elanga, who has scored twice and hasn't featured since early September.

Yoanne Wissa, Mathias Fernandez-Pardo, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Ramsey, Jacob Murphy, and Bazoumana Toure have all struggled, and Jaissle must find a way to get his forwards firing if he wants the team's fortunes to turn around any time soon.

But one big error that has now been made very clear was the decision to allow Nick Woltemade to leave the club at the end of the transfer window.

The German was a big-money signing in the summer of 2025 and started life on Tyneside well, before the team struggles affected his form. He managed 11 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, but many of them came from the substitutes bench, and also from central midfield.

But since making the move to Juventus on a season-long loan deal, the 24-year-old has shown his qualities once again. A slow start in Serie A has been balanced out by the fact he has scored three goals in three games in the Europa League, becoming just the third player in the club's history to score in each of his first three games for the club in a major European competition.

Woltemade Would Have Been Perfect Solution

When Woltemade moved to Newcastle, his technical quality and physical attributes were seen as a brilliant blend for the Premier League, which is why they were willing to spend so much money.

His form was worrying, but his ability was clear. With so many key players leaving, and the manager wanting to come in and play with pace and transitions, having Woltemade in the squad to make the ball stick, put the ball in the net, and also link with the midfielders would have been perfect.

Jaissle made some big mistakes in the window, such as refusing to cash in on Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy, and this is yet another mistake the German has made since stepping into the hot seat.