Newcastle United’s most recent summer transfer business is starting to raise uncomfortable questions, with growing concern that the club may not have spent as wisely as it did in the early years of the PIF era.
While ambition remains high and the project is still moving forward, there is a feeling among supporters that some of the big-money decisions made this time around have yet to deliver real value on the pitch.
Anthony Elanga was meant to be one of the headline solutions. After months of searching for a reliable right winger, Newcastle finally moved decisively in August, paying around £55 million to bring the Swedish international in from Nottingham Forest.
The expectation was clear. Elanga was supposed to add pace, direct running, and consistent end product from the right side, becoming a key part of Eddie Howe’s attacking structure.
So far, that impact has not arrived. Elanga has struggled to impose himself, and his performances have felt flat rather than explosive. For many fans, the situation is starting to feel worryingly familiar. The comparison being drawn is with Florian Thauvin, a name that still stirs frustration on Tyneside.
Back in 2015, Newcastle spent £13 million to sign Thauvin from Marseille, believing they were landing a future star. Even in difficult times under Mike Ashley’s ownership, there was optimism that Thauvin could be a player to build around.
That hope quickly faded. He looked uncomfortable in the Premier League, struggled with the physicality and pace of the game, and never truly settled. In the end, he made just a handful of starts before heading back to France, where his career slowly rebuilt itself away from England.
Ironically, Thauvin is now enjoying a late revival in Ligue 1, showing that the talent was always there. It just never worked at Newcastle.
That history is why some supporters are uneasy about Elanga’s slow start. The fear is not that Elanga lacks ability, but that Newcastle may once again have invested heavily in a player who is not the right fit for the league or the system.
Elanga currently finds himself as Howe’s first-choice option on the right, with limited competition beyond Jacob Murphy. That lack of pressure means he will likely continue to start games, but patience will not last forever if the output does not improve. When a club pays that kind of money, goals, assists, and match-changing moments are expected, not just hard running.
A similar sense of doubt is beginning to surround another summer signing, Jacob Ramsey. Newcastle paid around £42.5 million to bring the midfielder in from Aston Villa, viewing him as a versatile, high-energy player who could add depth and quality to the squad.
On paper, it made sense. Ramsey already had strong Premier League experience and had been praised in the past as a future England regular.
In reality, his Newcastle career has yet to take off. Injuries have disrupted his rhythm, and when fit, he has struggled to nail down a regular starting place.
He has shown flashes of his qualities, winning duels, covering ground, and trying to move the ball forward, but those moments have been too rare to truly shift the narrative around him.
Below is a simple look at Jacob Ramsey’s Premier League output this season so far, which helps explain why questions are being asked:
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| Matches Played (Starts) | 8 (3) |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Average Touches per Game | 34.3 |
| Accurate Passes per Game | 24.5 (91%) |
| Chances Created per Game | 1.0 |
| Dribbles per Game | 0.8 |
| Ball Recoveries per Game | 3.8 |
| Tackles + Interceptions per Game | 1.2 |
| Duels Won per Game | 2.5 (53%) |
These numbers show effort, but they do not scream influence. For a player signed for a significant fee, Newcastle need more control, more attacking output, and more consistency.
With young talents like Lewis Miley emerging and talk of interest in familiar faces like Elliot Anderson, Ramsey’s path to regular minutes could become even narrower.
This situation echoes past mistakes. Thauvin did not work out, but Newcastle survived because they had cheaper, smarter signings elsewhere, such as Ayoze Perez, who delivered consistent performances without a huge price tag.
If Elanga and Ramsey both fail to justify their fees, the concern is not just about individual players, but about a shift in recruitment efficiency.
Both players still have time. Elanga is not short of confidence, and Ramsey remains a naturally gifted midfielder with the right attitude. But football moves quickly, and patience at the top level is limited.
For now, there is a growing sense that Newcastle may have spent big without getting the return they hoped for, and that is why comparisons to past transfer missteps refuse to go away.
