flag
back Back
Bruno forgiven, £20m flop - Newcastle United's 34 post-takeover signings ranked by you

How you've ranked the 34 first-team players Newcastle have signed since the transfer brakes were taken off

Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United celebrates with teammate Keiran Trippier
Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippir signed for Newcastle United in Januaru 2022

Half of Newcastle United's top 10 signings since the PIF-backed takeover of the club in 2021 are no longer at the club, according to the results of our latest fan ranking list.

We asked you to rank each of the 34 players signed for the Magpies first team since the club was bought by Saudi Arabia's PIF to launch a new era of ambition at St James' Park.

It all started in that January transfer window of 2022, when Eddie Howe was able to bring five new faces to the club, and for four years, they never looked back.

Of course there have been recent bumps in the road, as the realities of financial restrictions and squad cost rules have meant Newcastle have been forced to sell some big names in order to keep revenue healthy. Others, such as Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak have opted to leave to pursue their dreams of more silverware.

But after years of a reluctance to spend regularly under previous owner Mike Ashley, United have contnued to invest to their maximum capabilities - with some superstars wearing the black-and-white shirt.

Who is the best signing they have made since then? That was the question we put to you over the international break, with fans able to tank all 34 players from best to worst.

The results have thrown up some interesting outcomes . . .

Outstanding signings - but worrying truth

Three of those January 2022 signings feature in the top five, which is no surprise given what an impact they made.

Former captains Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier take No 1 and No 2 spots respectively after superb Newcastle careers, with current captain Dan Burn in fourth.

While Bruno's exit will leave a bitter taste for some, it's clear he's been forgiven by the majority to come top of the list, with Lewis Hall third and Anthony Gordon fifth.

However, five of the top 10 have already left, with Alexander Isak at No 6 and Sandro Tonali coming in at No 9, something which says everything about how successful the early transfer windows were - and the challenges the club has faced in recent years.

Cut-price flops

It's the nature of any ranking list that someone has to come bottom, but the £20m United paid Nottingham Forest for Odysseas Vlachodimos has resulted in just 45 minutes of first-team football, so it's no shock that he comes in last.

Others, such as John Ruddy, Harrison Ashby, Lloyd Kelly and Lloris Karius at least cost the club very little in terms of transfer fees - indeed Kelly was signed on a free and moved to Juventus for £20m.

Yankuba Minteh didn't even play for Newcastle after signing from Odense, with United forced to sell him and Elliot Anderson to meet PSR demands in 2023.

Two players that stand out near the bottom are Nick Woltemade and Aladi Bamba, with United forking out just over £100m for the pair. Woltemade's future looks very uncertain after a loan move to Juventus, following his £69m club-record switch from Suttgart in 2025.

It's doubtful United will be able to recoup all of that fee, although in accounting terms, it will be less value two years into his contact.

Bamba is a different case, with the 20-year-old signed for the future. He's yet to make an impact but could feature significantly higher on this list in a few years.

New recruits

Of course it's harder to judge those who have only been at the club for a few months, so it's interesting that Sean Steur is already ranked at No 12 by fans.

He's the pick fot he summer signings to date, although you would imagine Nico Gonzalez and Amar Dedic moving up the rankings as their Newcastle careers progress.

Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Bazoumana Toure are ranked a lowly 21 and 22 but given their limited gametime to date, that's not something anyone inside St James' Park will be concerned about.

Newcastle United' 34 post-takeover signings ranked by you

  • 1 Bruno Guimaraes
  • 2 Kieran Trippier
  • 3 Lewis Hall
  • 4 Dan Burn
  • 5 Anthony Gordon
  • 6 Alexander Isak
  • 7 Harvey Barnes
  • 8 Tino Livramento
  • 9 Sandro Tonali
  • 10 Malick Thiaw
  • 11 Sven Botman
  • 12 Sean Steur
  • 13 William Osula
  • 14 Nico Gonzalez
  • 15 Amar Dedic
  • 16 Nick Pope
  • 17 Lukas Hornicek
  • 18 Anthony Elanga
  • 19 Jacob Ramsey
  • 20 Yoane Wissa
  • 21 Matias Fernandez-Pardo
  • 22 Bazoumana Toure
  • 23 Chris Wood
  • 24 Nick Woltemade
  • 25 Aladji Bamba
  • 26 Matt Targett
  • 27 Aaron Ramsdale
  • 28 Ewen Jaouen
  • 29 Yankuba Minteh
  • 30 Lloyd Kelly
  • 31 Lloris Karius
  • 32 Harrison Ashby
  • 33 John Ruddy
  • 34 Odysseas Vlachodimos

Don't agree with theses rankings? You can still rank each first-team signing below.

You may like

€88m superstar confirms true reason for Arsenal transfer decision

footballtransfers.com 2 hours ago

Team News: PSG make goalkeeper transfer decision after losing Zion Suzuki to Aston Villa

sportsmole.co.uk 17 hours ago

Eddie Howe is Jason Wilcox’s choice if Manchester United replace Michael Carrick

irishtimes.com 1 hour ago

Haaland and a future that points to Real Madrid or Barcelona: "His next step will be LaLiga"

marca.com 36 minutes ago

Gilberto Mora speculation reignited after Andoni Iraola questioned on Liverpool transfer

liverpool.com 18 hours ago

Man City FFP: Haaland, Cherki ‘say yes’ to Barcelona transfer in £222m double swoop

football365.com 18 hours ago

The truth of the Arteta and Newcastle United revelations as reported by Sky Sports

themag.co.uk 1 day ago

Nick Woltemade makes history as he becomes only the third player to do this for Juventus

themag.co.uk 5 hours ago

Workington AFC extend manager Billy Barr's contract to 2029

timesandstar.co.uk 51 minutes ago

INEOS agree record-breaking deal for new signing

centredevils.co.uk 18 hours ago