Newcastle in talks to seal club-record signing

Matthias Jaissle is establishing his system at Newcastle United, tasked with the unenviable job of succeeding Eddie Howe.

This has been another testing summer for the Newcastle persuasion, who have lost all of their main pieces after slumping to a 12th-place Premier League finish.

Jaissle confirmed that Bruno Guimaraes’ future was already determined when he stepped in at the end of July, and while Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba have supported a Magpies midfield that would otherwise be running on empty,

His future hasn’t exactly been firmly tied to St. James’ Park this summer, but now, it feels imperative that Joelinton remains at the club.

Why Newcastle cannot afford to sell Joelinton

Several years ago, Joelinton was genuinely one of the best-performing midfielders in the Premier League, but he has shown signs of wear-and-tear across the past two campaigns, with journalist Mark Douglas claiming last year that the 29-year-old was “nowhere near his best“.

It’s been quite the ride for Joelinton in the Premier League. The Newcastle mainstay has been synonymous with the Howe project, and with Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali gone, he is now the club’s most senior centre-midfielder.

Even though Joelinton was culpable for a number of poor performances last season, he has to stay with the Toon for the year ahead. Selling him and losing his presence and experience could rock the boat too hard – especially with young guns such as Steur and Bamba looking to bed in.

Of course, nothing is ever certain in football, as Newcastle fans are only too aware of after so many setbacks and wicked left turns. The Saudi Arabian interest in Joelinton is potent, and Jaissle could welcome an exciting replacement through the gates before the end of the month.

Newcastle in talks to seal club-record signing

In fairness, it’s pretty clear that Newcastle need to complete a midfield signing of seniority before the end of the transfer window, regardless of whether Joelinton stays or goes.

Guimaraes’ absence will be keenly felt, but if Newcastle complete a deal for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, they might just turn things around.

According to TEAMtalk, the 25-year-old midfielder has been the subject of fresh talks this week, with PIF looking to add an elite midfielder to Jaissle’s ranks after Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali’s big-money sales.

Nmecha was understood to harbour doubts over a move to Tyneside, but is now warming to the prospect of becoming the centrepiece of a new project. If the Magpies are serious, though, it’s going to be a tough one to pull off. Liverpool and Manchester United have both shown an interest, and the Germany World Cup star has been priced at £100m, which would mark a club-record buy.

A robust and multi-faceted midfielder, Nmecha would bring an all-action style to Tyneside. His power and explosiveness could see him prove the long-term successor for someone like Joelinton.

In truth, though, the plaudits that came for Nmecha across his impressive World Cup campaign were derived from a season-long effort in Germany. His Bundesliga form was immense, and the power and conviction with which he conducts himself in the engine room could surely see him mark a major upgrade on Joelinton – even if the Brazilian stays put for the coming year.

In the aggregate, the slick passing of Steur and Bamba’s machine-like ball-winning skills will counter the loss of Guimaraes and Tonali, but Nmecha could be the glue which holds it all together, sort of like if Joelinton was endowed with a touch more natural skill on the ball.

After all, the experienced star was converted from striker to midfield after a failed early stint up top. Like Nmecha would, he arrived from the Bundesliga, joining Newcastle in a club-record £40m deal way back when.

If Nmecha’s World Cup campaign is anything to go by, he could prove a “world-class” upgrade on a powerhouse such as Joelinton, as he has been hailed by former Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann.

With surpassing technical qualities and the wind in his sails, Nmecha might just establish himself as Jaissle’s most trusted lieutenant in midfield.