Rating Newcastle’s summer signings so far: £32m man outshines Sandro Tonali

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Newcastle United made five signings this summer, as the Toon recruitment team looked towards the future.

Three of the players Newcastle signed were under the age of 21, with Eddie Howe fleshing out his squad with young talent that should flourish at St James’ Park.

It has been a strong start to the season for the Magpies, but it has certainly been a mixed bag for the summer signings.

Here are our ratings out of 10 for Newcastle’s five summer signings so far

Yankuba Minteh 9/10

The first player Newcastle United signed this summer was Yankuba Minteh, and he was immediately loaned out to Feyenoord.

That was the first indication that we had signed a special player, as Feyenoord are also competing in the Champions League, just like we are.

Minteh is proving to be a real hit in Rotterdam, impressing fans and pundits with his blistering speed. The 19-year-old is also doing the business in the final third, scoring three goals and providing one assist so far.

The youngster is excelling out on loan, making Toon fans very excited to see him at St James’ Park in the future. For £6million, this could prove to be a Dan Ashworth masterclass.

Sandro Tonali 6/10

Newcastle’s most expensive signing of the summer was Sandro Tonali. He cost £55million from AC Milan, becoming the club’s second most expensive signing ever.

It was anticipated that it would take him a while to settle in, and that is proving to be the case. However, there was hope that he would not need a bedding in period after a blistering debut against Aston Villa.

But things have settled down since then, and Tonali has only shown glimpses of his immense talent. However, he is still very young and adapting to a completely new culture, and the signs that he is going to be a star are certainly there.

There is a lot of room for improvement, but that was always going to be the case. Tonali will take time, just like Anthony Gordon did.

Harvey Barnes 5/10

Harvey Barnes is a hard one to rate, as he has not played a lot of football. He has largely been used off the bench, grabbing a goal and an assist on his debut against Aston Villa.

The 25-year-old is now out of action with a foot injury, and will not be back playing until 2024. That is a severe blow so early into his Toon career.

A 5/10 is harsh, but he simply has not had a big enough impact as of yet due to limited minutes followed by a crushing injury.

Tino Livramento 8/10

£32million was a lot of money to spend on a backup right-back, but Tino Livramento very much proved that he is the future on his one and only Newcastle start so far.

He was outstanding in the Carabao Cup win over Manchester City, and proved why the club were so desperate to sign him. Jack Grealish massively struggled up against Livramento, as he was taunted by the Toon Army.

There were cries of ‘Tino, Tino’ from the St James’ Park crowd, who will be more than happy to see plenty of Livramento in the coming months.

Kieran Trippier is obviously our star right-back, but Livramento is an excellent understudy. He has already proved that he is more than capable of stepping in when required.

Lewis Hall 4/10

However, the same can’t be said for Lewis Hall at this moment in time. But, in his defence, he is yet to start a game in the position he was brought in to play.

Hall was signed as a left-back, but he did not start there against Man City in the cup. The teenager struggled that night, but he was not the only poor performer during that first half where Newcastle barely had a kick.

Eddie Howe has stated that Hall is still getting up to speed with regards to his fitness, but he does not appear to be at the same level as Livramento is. Newcastle fans would have no concerns about Livramento starting, but the same can’t be said for Hall as of yet.

There is no shame in that. He is only 19 and has barely received any opportunities.

It has not been a great star to life as a Newcastle player for Hall, but it didn’t need to be. He is one for the future, and will be rated much higher after a few years at St James’ Park.