The Newcastle star is the best signing of the PIF era and it’s not Gordon or Bruno

Could you name a signing from the Mike Ashley era that would be in the top five of Newcastle United’s best additions over the last 18 years?

Fabricio Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye, the late Cheick Tiote, Demba Ba and Papiss Cissé would all have compelling claims. Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar find themselves in the Eddie Howe era at St. James’ Park, and their arguments are equally strong.

All good players, but Newcastle have moved up the ranks over the last four years. Murphy and Schar are industrious and efficient parts of the Toon system, but neither are the cream of the crop.

Let’s take a look at these glittering arrivals from recent years. The difference makers. Trophy winners. The go-getters.

There are a few who have become players of the highest class.

Howe’s best signings at Newcastle

Newcastle were weak, but now they are strong. Once rudderless under Ashley’s tyrannical reign, the Toon forged a new path after this PIF takeover, and they haven’t looked back.

Time and again, Howe and his team succeeded. Take Anthony Gordon. The England international suffered his fair share of criticism upon joining Everton, but he has gone from strength to strength and has seen interest spurned from Liverpool, who have not been deterred by the 24-year-old’s £100m valuation in 2024.

Gordon is not alone, and potentially even overshadowed by skipper Bruno Guimaraes. From the start, the Brazilian was a pillar of strength in the middle of the park, effortlessly good.

One of the best qualities of Guimaraes is that he bleeds black and white. Forget unparalleled technical quality, banish steely tenacity, here is a man who loves the club and has channeled his passion into illustrious success.

There are many others who still ply their trade in a Newcastle jersey, but those are probably the superstars.

We must mention Alexander Isak, who was arguably the best striker in the Premier League last season, scoring 27 goals. He left in fiery circumstances and will never again be flavor of the month on Tyneside.

But Newcastle paid a British record fee of £125m for the Swedish striker, and given his success in the team and the manner in which Howe and his colleagues have returned those bags of money to the transfer market, it’s an interesting thing, with one new recruit in particular shaping up to be one of the best signings of the PIF era.

Newcastle star may be best of PIF era

Sometimes you can just say it. And in the case of Nick Woltemade, it can be said that Newcastle have become one of the most talented strikers in Europe.

Praised by journalist Andy Sixsmith for his “mesmerizing” link-up play, the German striker may not have got his name on the scoresheet when Newcastle beat Benfica this week, but his overall play was a thing to behold and proof that he doesn’t need goals to put in stunning performances.

Of course, the goals are nice, and with five out of eight matches for his new club this season. He’s missed just three big chances for the club, clinical and precise, and there’s a willingness to dive deep and weave the game together, threading the fabric of Howe’s team like a seamstress.

That may sound like high praise, but the big man is a great talent, and Newcastle must feel they are getting their money’s worth.

It’s telling that Howe’s attacking lineup appears to want to stabilize and give fans a lot more joy in the final third despite losing such a devastating leader Isak.

Isak left for a huge fee, and Newcastle replaced him with Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, currently sidelined with a knee injury but sure to be a confident goalscorer when he makes his bow. Today, United are progressing again; they are now showing signs of offensive qualities that could evolve into something new and in line with their high ambitions.

While Woltemade arrived from Stuttgart this summer for a fee of £69 million, beating that previous record price, he demonstrates that Newcastle are getting value for money. The goals are unlikely to dry up and Newcastle dry out at number nine, if they continue to make creative gains, replenishing the full mastery of Howe’s side.

The underlying data speaks volumes about its potential. Using FBref data, we can show that Woltemade ranks in the top 5% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, top 15% for progressive passes and top 7% for successful restarts per 90.

He’s clearly quite good and will only get better as he matures and develops in the English game.

It’s too early to say with conviction that Woltemade was the definitive best signing of the PIF era at St. James’ Park.

After all, Gordon and Guimaraes have been instrumental in the rise of Howe’s project, leading the club to the Champions League twice and winning the Carabao Cup last season.

We can’t definitively label Woltemade the best signing in this new chapter for Newcastle, but we can extrapolate from early black and white readings and say, with confidence, that he is a special striker and one that is poised for more and more success.