Newcastle United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign one player who has been in talks to join Chelsea, with sporting director Ross Wilson to thank for the deal.
Eddie Howe is enduring a terrible week at Newcastle as the pressure mounts
It was perhaps the worst week of Eddie Howe’s tenure at Newcastle.
In the space of four days, the Magpies were knocked out of the Champions League in the worst possible way and then played their biggest rivals in the most painful way imaginable.
That 7-2 thrashing at Camp Nou last Wednesday continues.
Newcastle were genuinely competitive for much of the first half – Anthony Elanga equalized twice for the visitors in the opener – only for Lamine Yamal’s controversial penalty before the break, awarded after a VAR review which Howe clearly questioned, to swing the tie in Barcelona’s favour.
The second half was a punishing experience, with Sandro Tonali limping off with a groin injury adding insult to injury.
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An 8-3 aggregate exit, and with it, the end of Newcastle’s Champions League journey.
There was no time to process it.
Four days later came the Tyne-Wear derby – the first at St James’ Park in more than a decade – and the hope was that revenge would be sweet.
Anthony Gordon gave them the perfect start, hitting home in the 10th minute to take his Premier League tally to 10 since the start of the year.
Newcastle were leading at the break. Then the second half happened.
Chemsdine Talbi leveled for Sunderland, Malick Thiaw’s header was disallowed, and in the dying minutes Brian Brobbey scored the 90th-minute winner to send Sunderland’s fate sadly and the home faithful into stunned silence.
Sunderland finished the league twice, with Howe becoming the first Newcastle manager in history to lose both of his first two league derbies against the Black Cats.
This result has dropped Newcastle to 12th place in the Premier League, topped by Sunderland, as the European title looks very far away.
Eight defeats in their last 11 league games are painful statistics for a club that started the season competing in four competitions with real ambition.
However, in the midst of a truly miserable week, Wilson and the recruitment team at St James’ Park have delivered some rare good news – and point strongly to the future.
Newcastle have agreed a deal to sign Johan Martinez after beating Chelsea
TEAMtalk and reporter Graeme Bailey report that Newcastle have won the race to sign 16-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder Johan Martinez from Independiente del Valle, the club that also produced twins Edwin and Holger Quintero, who were recently signed by Arsenal.
The teenager has been identified as one of the most exciting prospects from South America, with explosive pace, natural intelligence and versatility across the line of attack.
Newcastle are said to have sealed a deal for Martinez, with Wilson in particular playing a ‘key role’.
The competition for his signature was intense.
Arsenal were involved, fresh from their relationship with Independiente del Valle, while Chelsea’s ownership of BlueCo were also in talks over a potential deal for Martinez.
Man City, through the City Football Group, Liverpool, Brighton and Bundesliga clubs RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen were also interested, so almost all the big clubs with a youth recruitment network knew about the kid.
Newcastle won anyway.
TT points out that the team’s vision, clear direction and development plan that Wilson has drawn up have been crucial in convincing Martinez and his representatives that St James’ Park is the right home.
He will officially join in 2028 when he turns 18, and the deal is seen internally as a significant long-term statement of intent.
In a week that has brought nothing but pain on the pitch, this is the kind of recruitment that reminds everyone at Newcastle what the wider project is building up to.
Elsewhere, other reports suggest Newcastle are also holding early talks over a deal for Marcus Thuram.
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