Newcastle United have been blessed with a plethora of attacking talents over the years, with numerous players capturing the hearts of the fanbase during their time at the club.
From iconic hometown heroes such as Alan Shearer to current-day talents like Alexander Isak, the supporters have been able to witness some truly incredible forwards.
However, they’ve not had everything they would’ve liked, with years of disappointment under former owner Mike Ashley.
At one stage, the Magpies were operating with forwards such as Yoshinori Muto and Joselu, players with high expectations but unfortunately failing to deliver the goods during their time on Tyneside.
Despite the lack of attacking output in recent years, boss Eddie Howe has built a very successful forward line in 2024, with Isak partnered by one player who has rapidly developed at St James’ Park.
Anthony Gordon’s stats in 2023/24
After joining the club in a £45m deal from Everton back in January 2023, there was real hope for the addition of winger Anthony Gordon – potentially providing Isak with added ammunition in the final third.
Whilst he endured a disappointing first six months under Howe, scoring just once in his first 12 appearances for Newcastle, he exploded into life last season – producing the best campaign of his professional career to date.
The 23-year-old featured in 35 Premier League matches, scoring 11 times whilst providing ten assists, but it wasn’t enough to help the club secure a second successive European finish as the Magpies ended the campaign in seventh place.
However, his subsequent form was enough to earn a call-up for the England squad for Euro 2024, but he only featured in one game during the entire tournament – with his direct pace and dribbling ignored by Gareth Southgate.
Whilst Gordon produced some impressive figures during his first full season on Tyneside, he was outperformed by one talent who the club allowed to leave on the cheap back in 2018.
Newcastle may regret selling 21-goal ace
After coming through the club’s academy and enduring various loan spells with multiple EFL clubs, boyhood Newcastle fan Adam Armstrong was sold to Championship side Blackburn Rovers for a fee in the region of just £1.8m.
The striker would go on to score 55 times during his time at Ewood Park, before securing a big-money transfer to Southampton in 2021 – with his best-ever season coming during their promotion-winning campaign last time around.
The 27-year-old registered 21 goals and 13 assists in the Championship, scoring the winning goal against Leeds United in the play-off final at Wembley, securing an immediate return to the top-flight for Russell Martin’s side.
How Armstrong compares to Newcastle attackers (2023/24) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Player | Goals | Assists | Total |
Adam Armstrong | 21 | 13 | 34 |
Alexander Isak | 21 | 2 | 23 |
Anthony Gordon | 11 | 10 | 21 |
Callum Wilson | 9 | 1 | 10 |
Jacob Murphy | 3 | 7 | 10 |
Harvey Barnes | 5 | 3 | 8 |
Miguel Almiron | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Stats via Transfermarkt | |||
Armstrong’s eye for goal was evident on various occasions last season, with a variety of different finishes on show, demonstrating the qualities he possesses in the final third.
Whilst it’s easy to say he’s only achieved these figures in the Championship and not the Premier League, his quality in attacking areas would certainly benefit Howe’s side in 2024, with the club potentially living to regret his cheap departure six years ago.
Even if he wasn’t a first-team member in the current squad, the Magpies would’ve been able to receive a significantly higher fee for a player of his talent.
The deal was an example of numerous poor dealings in the market by former owner Ashley, with the club now in a much better position under the Saudi PIF.
However, his excellent goalscoring figures would provide the added depth that Howe’s side have often lacked in recent years – further aiding the attempts to cement themselves as consistent top-four challengers.
