Heading into the weekend game against Manchester City, many Newcastle United fans were apprehensive. After all, Eddie Howe’s side have been out of sorts this season, and City rarely lose to the Tynesiders.
But Newcastle reminded the Premier League of their quality with an emphatic 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s outfit. United remain bogged down in 14th place, but only six points separate them and Aston Villa in the top four.
There were a few changes at St. James’ Park, and it underscored a wider shift at the club that could see a number of Howe’s mainstays move on in 2026.
The Newcastle stars who might be leaving in 2026
The midfield is the beating heart of Newcastle’s system. While Joelinton continues to look like the weak link, at the weekend he was back to his physical and rip-roaring best.
However, it’s difficult to imagine Newcastle would have claimed all three points had Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento not been reinstated on the defensive flanks. The young full-backs rewrite the tactical script, adding a new dimension and playing into Howe’s transitional emphasis.
This, of course, could spell the end for Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, both of whom have deputised in the absence of the injured younger men this season. However, Newcastle are limited in their mobility and dynamism when the veterans start.
There is another member of Howe’s United backline whose future is somewhat uncertain too, and it’s far more concerning that this star’s level has dipped.
Newcastle mainstay is on borrowed time
When Newcastle signed Sven Botman in 2022, it was regarded as a coup for one of Europe’s most talented up-and-coming centre-backs.
He was a colossus across the 2022/23 campaign, steering Newcastle into the Champions League and being lauded for his “incredible impact” by pundit Leon Osman.
Commanding and cool-headed, Botman is the prototypical central defender for a side competing for trophies, with his calculated and accurate passing crucial for his side’s presence on the ball. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 13% of positional peers in England’s top flight for chances created per 90 (0.55).
However, injuries have since laid waste to the 25-year-old’s hopes of sustaining good form on Tyneside, and he now faces a fight to recover his place in the starting line-up, having been benched for the recent win in the Premier League.
Season
Apps
Minutes
25/26
10
659′
24/25
8
415′
23/24
17
1,378′
22/23
36
3,129′
Thiaw’s emergence as a top Premier League defender this season has coincided with Botman’s own struggles for fluency and strength in Howe’s system.
This is a centre-half whose attack on the English game after joining from Lille in 2022 was widely lauded. He was “a monster in his debut season”, according to reporter Charlie Bennett, who then acknowledged that the Netherlands international has since been “glued to the treatment table”.
As Thiaw goes from strength to strength, there is only so much leeway Botman can be afforded. Schar was immense in his place against Man City, but the 33-year-old is out of a deal at the end of the season.
After a solid start to the season, Botman’s form has slumped. Newcastle reporter Joel Brand even said he was “utterly embarrassing” during the loss at Brentford earlier this month.
Should he leave, Newcastle will need to search for a replacement, and that could lead to Botman falling down the pecking order and a far cry away from that pedestal he stood on before injuries gripped him.
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