Before the international break, it felt like Newcastle United were on the right path as they headed towards the January transfer window.
Up until that Carabao Cup win over Chelsea, Newcastle United did not have two wingers they could rely on. Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes both want to play on the left, while Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron do not have enough quality on the right.
Fortunately for Toon fans, it was reported that Newcastle’s January priority was to sign a right winger.
However, the emergence of Joelinton out wide was hinting that Newcastle perhaps did not need to splash out in January. Instead, they could focus their attention on signing a new centre-back.
Alas, Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham proved that Paul Mitchell still really needs to address the right of attack when the January transfer window opens.
Joelinton experiment failed against West Ham
Whether he has been on the right or the left, Joelinton has thrived in attack against Chelsea, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
The big Brazilian has been outstanding, and the fact he even proved to be a force on the right against Forest was massively encouraging. That allowed Eddie Howe to play Anthony Gordon on the left, which is exactly what happened on Monday night at home to the Hammers.
Unfortunately, Gordon struggled on the left, while Joelinton was not much better on the right. There was a real lack of creativity down the right, as Newcastle failed to break down a stubborn West Ham defence.
The £40million man was then replaced by Jacob Murphy in the 69th minute, with Howe seemingly keen to get more balls into the box.
Murphy saw a lot of the ball after coming on, but did absolutely nothing with it. It was an infuriating performance from the 29-year-old, who is nowhere near good enough to be a starter for Newcastle.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 8 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| 9 |  FulhamFulham | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 |  BrentfordBrentford | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 17 |
Newcastle United need to act in January
In games against the ‘big six’ or away from home, Joelinton is an ideal option out wide. He provides more solidity and balance, while he can also cover his fullback.
However, Newcastle needed flair and creativity against West Ham.
This game was not suited to Joelinton playing out wide, further summing up why Paul Mitchell needs to act and sign another winger in January.
Fortunately, it appears he is working towards that end, as Toon officials line up potential targets ahead of the transfer window opening.
Bryan Mbeumo is Newcastle’s dream signing, but it might be difficult to strike a deal with Brentford at the start of the year. The Magpies do have alternatives, with Paul Mitchell a big fan of PSV Eindhoven attacker Johan Bakayoko.
Either of those players would be welcome additions at St James’ Park in January 2025.
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