Newcastle are taking baby steps towards the top. Can they join the title fight?

When Newcastle were taken over by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund in October 2021, the Magpies became the richest club in the world. Many expected expensive signings and superstars to come, but Newcastle are heading to the top in incremental steps.

When Newcastle’s new owners took over, the club was at the bottom of the Premier League and struggling to save itself. Many expected new superpowers to come in and immediately help the traditional club shoot back into the elite.

But that didn’t quite happen. The team has been put in charge by Eddie Howe, who has space to work with and isn’t under any great pressure. Of course, the management started bringing in reinforcements as soon as last winter, but they didn’t target big names with big salaries who would go to Newcastle with the sole aim of making money.

The club is trying to bring in either young and hungry players with potential or seasoned Premier League players. Bruno Guimarães and Joe Willock were in the former category last season, while Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Dan Burn were in the latter. Matt Targett also came in on loan.

This summer saw a big reinforcement in goal in the form of 30 year old Nick Pope and the redemption of Targett from his loan spell, followed by two more youngsters. 22 year old Sven Botman quickly slotted into the starting line-up and played 14 of the 16 games.

Alexander Isak hinted at his potential when he scored 2 goals in 3 games, but was subsequently sidelined by injury for the rest of the fall and is still unavailable.

And Newcastle are doing great. Before the World Cup, they were third in the Premier League behind only Manchester City and Arsenal. The Magpies made a fantastic start to the league, beating Leicester 3-0 on Boxing Day and are now second in the table.

They are 7 points behind the leaders Arsenal, third Citizens have one point less, but two games to play. However, it can be expected that Newcastle will strengthen in the winter and will want to compete for the top positions.

They have already entered the cup race, but what about a step up? Can Newcastle challenge for the title? The 3rd of January will tell everything, when the Magpies will face the table leader Arsenal on their ground.

If they dominate the Emirates Stadium, they will definitely send their bid for the title. And with the current form of Miguel Almirón and co. it is certainly not out of the question.

Source: Newcastle United, Premier League