Howe should bravely dump the Newcastle man who is now cheaper than Longstaff

It's a well-known fact that Newcastle United have endured a terrible injury crisis this campaign, with many members of the first team missing out on long spells.

Nick Pope and Joelinton are just two examples, the shooting stopper missed four months with a shoulder injury and Joelinton recently returned from a long-term thigh injury that kept him out from January to early May.

Their various failures have prevented Eddie Howe's side from challenging for the Premier League's top four, following their success last season when the Magpies reached the group stage of the Champions League.

They still managed an excellent finish considering their injury problems, sitting in seventh place and just eight points behind Aston Villa who won the world's biggest club competition under Unai Emery.

However, Howe has not been able to rely on other members of the first team, such as Pope and Joelinton, who have had a tough time with injuries over the past few months.

Joe Willock figures for Newcastle in 2023/24

After scoring eight goals in 14 appearances on loan in 2020/21, Newcastle have decided to pay £25m to sign midfielder Joe Willock from Arsenal.

However, since moving to Tyneside on a permanent basis, the 24-year-old has failed to rekindle his loan spell, managing just six Premier League goals in his last 73 appearances – an average of one goal every time. 12 games.

This season has been difficult for the midfielder, who has managed to play just nine times in the league, starting just five times – in an injury-hit campaign.

He has faced three separate problems during the 2023/24 campaign, with problems seeing the former Gunners talent fail to live up to the promise he once showed on Tyneside.

Due to his constant battles with setbacks, the club have taken a huge hit from the £25m they have paid him over the last few years.

Joe Willock's market value in 2024

Almost three years on from his permanent move to St James' Park, the “famous” Englishman, as Howe called him, has seen his price drop, with Willock now valued at £17.5m – as a transfer.

His subsequent value is less than that of team-mate Sean Longstaff, who cost the club nothing after joining the Magpies academy as a teenager.

Longstaff has proved himself a reliable first-team regular, making 35 Premier League appearances in 2023/24, with his fee rising to £22.5m – a testament to his value to Howe.

While there is still time for Willock to turn his fortunes around on Tyneside, with the club in potential FFP trouble, they could look to offload him, his injury problems becoming a real obstacle to any progress he might make.