Over the last couple of seasons, Newcastle United's squad overall has undergone many changes. From being bought by the Saudi PIF to having Eddie Howe take over as manager.
Many things are different for the Magpies in recent times, and it feels as if sooner rather than later we will start to see more change within their ranks.
Last season was arguably one of the most successful for the Tyneside club as Howe managed to guide his men to Champions League qualification.
The club finished the Premier League season on 71 points, a total which put them four ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool. Reaching Europe's grandest stage was always the goal, however, none expected it to come as quickly as it did.
The 2023/24 term, on the other hand, has been quite a different story. The club find themselves 15 points out of the top four spots and currently sit in eighth place.
Granted, the amount of injuries which the team have endured this season has played a big part in the way they've performed. However, many other top-flight teams, such as league leaders Liverpool, have managed to play at a much higher standard.
This is shown not only by their league position, but the fact that they have only lost one game out of their last 17, shows the quality within their ranks.
This drop in form by Newcastle has understandably brought into question the future of many members of the team, including Howe's.
Many managers have been linked with the role, such as Julian Nagelsmann and even Ruben Amorim.
It is the former, however, who could unleash the next level within a Newcastle players' game.
How Nagelsmann could help develop Newcastle "monster"
The player in question is of Joelinton. The former striker, now a midfielder, joined The Magpies in the summer of 2019 for a then club-record fee worth £40m.
At the time, the then 22-year-old was deemed to be too expensive by many despite just having one of the most prolific seasons of his career where he amassed a total of 20 goal contributions for Hoffenheim.
It was during his time in Germany where Joelinton first met the now-German national team manager, and it was under his watch that he managed to produce some of the best numbers of his career.
Steve Bruce
89
10
Eddie Howe
89
15
Julian Nagelsmann
35
11
Goran Djuricin
41
13
Damir Canadi
14
3
Mike Buskens
25
5
Eduardo Baptista
18
4
After being signed by Hoffenheim from his home country in the 2015/16 season, the Brazil international spent a couple of seasons on loan with Rapid Vienna where he managed to involve himself with a total of 30 goals.
Upon his return, Nagelsmann integrated the 6 foot 1 youngster within the first-team squad, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Following his successful 2018/19 term, thanks to the guidance he received from the German manager, he became Hoffenheim's most-expensive player ever sold, surpassing Roberto Firmino.
Speaking about the then 22-year-old, Nagelsmann said the following, "The bloke is an animal. He’s a machine. It’s hard to stop him."
This not only shows his admiration for the midfielder, but, it also shows why he could make him even better.
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ByEthan LambMar 1, 2024 Joelinton's time with Newcastle in numbers
After moving to Tyneside, his first campaign with the Magpies got off to a somewhat rocky start with the attacker being involved in just eight goals.
This lack of form continued in the following season, however, he did manage to slightly improve on his numbers by adding an extra goal to his total.
The 2021/22 season, however, was where things really kicked into gear for the youngster. His start to the season was slow once again, however, after the introduction of Howe to the squad, it released a whole new "monster," as journalist Aaron Stokes put it, from within.
It was thanks to the tactical decision of moving the Brazil international into midfield from the former Bournemouth manager that changed the direction of his career.
Since then, he has become one of the fans' most-loved players and has even formed a solid partnership with fellow Brazilian, Bruno Guimaraes.
This is shown by his returns in both the 2022/23 season and the 2023/24 season thus far. Across the two campaigns, he has played a total of 63 games and has managed to contribute to a total of 18 goals.
This total is more than that of his first two seasons combined despite only being three-quarters of the 2023/24 campaign being played thus far.
So, if Howe does end up losing his managerial position at Newcastle, the appointment of Nagelsmann – a man who has already got plenty out of the Brazilian – could help bring out an even better version of Joelinton for the Magpies.