Newcastle United 11 first choices and 11 direct replacements now summer window closed | OneFootball

The Newcastle United first choice 11.

With the transfer window having (thankfully) finally closed, how is it looking?

Maybe almost as importantly in today’s Premier League environment…

How are Newcastle United now looking with their 11 direct replacements for that first choice eleven?

So many matches decided now due to bench power.

Plus of course, having a Newcastle United squad capable of coping with four competitions this 2025/26 season, especially if/when injuries and suspensions kick in.

I have taken a look through the Newcastle United options now at the club, as it currently stands on Wednesday 3 September 2025.

My Newcastle United first choice eleven and their direct replacements:

Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale

Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth

Fabian Schar and Malick Thiaw

Sven Botman and Dan Burn

Lewis Hall and Kieran Trippier

Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley

Bruno Guimaraes and Jacob Ramsey

Joelinton and Joe Willock

Anthony Elanga and Jacob Murphy

Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes

Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade

(Other available Newcastle United players – Will Osula, John Ruddy, Jamaal Lascelles, Mark Gillespie, Alex Murphy and Harrison Ashby. Plus of course young players who may step up from the Under 21s throughout this 2025/26 season)

Going through the options above, starting at the back…

Goalkeepers

I think now that we have Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale fighting it out to be number one, NUFC looking good in this department.

Defenders

With Malick Thiaw coming in, I think adding that long awaited younger more mobile able to play right side centre-back option this summer, we are pretty much sorted.

With Livramento, Hall, Schar or Thiaw, Burn or Botman, I am well happy with the defence.

I have listed Emil Krafth as the right-back replacement but in reality, it will be Trippier covering both full-back positions. So any two of the Tino, Hall, Trippier trio will usually play.

If Botman available but Trippier and Hall not, then probably Burn would play left-back.

I think Lascelles handy to still have around, mostly for what he can give off the pitch but effectively, the likes of Lascelles and Krafth are third choice selections for the first team, on the outer edges of the Newcastle United squad.

Midfielders

Nobody is disputing the levels of the first choice trio but obviously we needed at least one more midfielder.

Longstaff leaving and a serious upgrade here, with Jacob Ramsey coming in.

Hopefully Willock will find form and consistency, with Lewis Miley set to see plenty of football as well this season.

Wingers

With Elanga arriving, the wide options looking really strong.

Gordon, Murphy and Barnes as well, a very good quartet of wingers.

Centre-forwards

A massive change, as Wilson and Isak have moved on, with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa coming in.

A really strong looking department once again, with either of them able to play through the middle and from everything I have read and seen of them, definitely capable as well of playing productively in the same starting eleven.

Osula has potential but reality is that he needed to be third choice in terms of out and out striker, takes the pressure off him. Plus, I think on what we have seen of him so far, Osula has looked best playing wide right and cutting in at pace from there.

With Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw and Aaron Ramsdale all arriving, that is some serious strengthening of the team/squad. With just the departure of Isak really impacting negatively on Eddie Howe’s available choices. However, with the Sweden international determined to leave, it is questionable exactly what United would have got out of him if he’d stayed.