Newcastle pour big money ‘down the drain’ on flop who plays like he’s injured – journalist | OneFootball

A leading journalist has torn a recent piece of Newcastle business to shreds, claiming the Magpies have thrown £55m away on a player who looks injured even when he’s not.

Newcastle fought tooth and nail to retain Alexander Isak last summer, though in the end, accepted a British-record £125m bid from Liverpool.

The Magpies eventually gave the reluctant green light after lining up two replacements for the striker position.

Nick Woltemade wasn’t the Magpies’ first choice, with moves for Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko explored first.

Nevertheless, the giant German arrived for £69.3m, as did Yoane Wissa when Brentford netted £55m.

The price tag for the latter stunned many, especially with Wissa on the cusp of turning 29 at the time of his arrival in early-September.

The versatile forward has made minimal impact so far, notching three goals and just one assist in 21 appearances. In truth, he struggles to make Eddie Howe’s starting eleven when fit, which hasn’t been all that often after suffering a knee injury soon after his arrival.

Now, The Daily Mail’s Ian Ladyman has run the rule over Wissa’s move and Newcastle’s relative inability to juggle multiple competitions this season.

Howe’s men crashed out of the FA Cup last weekend in a game in which Howe rotated a handful of his options.

Wissa was among those called upon in the second half to turn the game, though in Ladyman’s eyes, Newcastle would have been better served keeping him on the bench, or better yet, not buying him in the first place.

Ladyman wrote: ‘[Juggling multiple competitions] continues to afflict Newcastle who simply don’t have enough depth to cope with the rigours of a season attempting to compete on all fronts.

‘I was at St James’ Park last Wednesday and Eddie Howe’s team were fantastic as they beat Manchester United with ten men.

‘On Saturday against Manchester City, Howe – who has a Champions League game at home to Barcelona – tried to rotate and sadly fell flat on this face.

‘Howe rested Anthony Gordon and Joelinton and Dan Burn ahead of the game but found the replacements wanting.

‘Perhaps most worrying of all is the situation regarding big summer signing Yoane Wissa who has recovered from the knee injury that wrecked the first half of the season but at the same time looks for all the world like a player who hasn’t.

‘Is in mental? Is he physical? Whatever the answer, it currently looks like £55m down the drain.’

In other news, as many as FIFTEEN first-team players will leave Tottenham if they’re relegated, and a report claims Newcastle are already lining up a move for one of the best.