IT’S been a summer to forget for Newcastle so far but Dream Team managers would do well to remember 2024/25.
Last season, only Liverpool and Manchester City won more league games than the Magpies, who ultimately finished fifth to secure Champions League qualification.
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Ahead of the new campaign, let’s analyse Newcastle’s top performers, smart selections and potential flops.
TOP PERFORMERS
Only Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) and Pedro Porro (£5m) averaged more points-per-game than Lewis Hall (£4.5m) among defenders last season.
The tireless left-back may have slipped from the minds of a few Dream Team bosses as he’s been sidelined with injury since February but he’s expected to be available from Gameweek 1 having returned to full training in early August.
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Hall was on course to reach double figures for assists before his campaign was cut short and that may be a realistic target this time around with additional European fixtures in the schedule.
Bruno Guimaraes (£5m) started every Premier League game last season and his consistency is his greatest strength.
The tenacious Brazilian midfielder is a master of all trades; he makes plenty of tackles, earns his fair share of bonus points, and chips in with enough goal involvements (13 last season).
Guimaraes is one of those Dream Team assets who keeps things ticking over, somebody you can pencil in for 200+ points before the season even starts.
Anthony Gordon (£4.5m) is a minor injury doubt for Gameweek 1 having limped off with an ankle problem in Newcastle’s last pre-season friendly but Eddie Howe expects his No10 to be available.
Even if the 24-year-old is not viable for the opening weekend, he should be considered a relatively strong option soon after.
It’s fair to say Gordon wasn’t at his very best last season but he still averaged over five points-per-game to his way to a total of 215.
There’s a chance he plays his fair share of minutes as a centre-forward this term, a tantalising prospect.
SMART SELECTIONS
Plenty of gaffers are keen on Anthony Elanga (£4m) this summer.
Having moved from Nottingham Forest, the Sweden winger is currently the sixth-most selected midfielder in the game.
Elanga scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 2024/25 and should benefit from Howe’s more ambitious tactics — Nuno Espirito Santo has done an excellent job at the City Ground but he is openly conservative in his approach.
If the talented 23-year-old establishes himself as Newcastle’s first-choice right winger then he could prove to be a savvy value-for-selection.
The only concern is that Jacob Murphy (£4.5m) may not be easily budged from the right flank having enjoyed his best ever season last time out.
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It’s not unthinkable that Aaron Ramsdale (£3m) becomes a regular starter following his switch from Southampton.
The England goalkeeper got off to a strong start with a penalty save against Espanyol in his first outing at St James’ Park.
At the time of writing, none of the first-choice keepers for the teams active in Europe are available for less than £3.5m but that would change if Ramsdale ascends to the top of the pecking order.
It would probably be too bold to back him from the off but it’s a situation to monitor closely.
POTENTIAL FLOPS
On the flip side, Nick Pope (£3.5m) is vulnerable.
The ex-Burnley custodian has been guilty of more than a few errors in the last year or so with Newcastle fans less convinced than they were during his impressive debut campaign with the club.
Pope is likely to start as No1 but he’ll be under pressure from Ramsdale and one mistake could demote him to the bench.
Finally, the elephant in the room: Alexander Isak (£6.5m).
The Swedish striker amassed a whopping 340 points last season via 27 goals but recent reports suggest he may not play for Newcastle ever again.
Isak wants a move away, with Anfield his preferred destination, and things have turned ugly.
Even if Newcastle hold firm and refuse to sell before the window closes, it may be the case that neither Isak or Howe are open to the idea of reintegration.
The gifted goalscorer currently features in 5.6% of teams but that figure will surely drop if he’s still in limbo come the Gameweek 1 deadline this Friday.
A transfer to Liverpool would be a huge game-changer but it’s probably best Dream Team managers stay clear for now.
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