Newcastle failed on borrowed time after Wilson’s arrival

Newcastle United The club officially confirmed the appointment of Ross Wilson as the new sporting director earlier this week after activating the release clause in his contract with Nottingham Forest.

The former Rangers transfer boss will now work with the Magpies to draw up plans for the upcoming January transfer window and beyond.

As Keith Downey’s post above explains, Wilson will be responsible for recruitment at all levels of the club, meaning some players could be under threat if they do not improve their performances.

One Newcastle player who may need to step up his game to avoid the departure of the new sporting director is winger Harvey Barnes.

Why does Harvey Barnes need to improve his performance at Newcastle?

The Magpies paid £38m To sign the England striker from Leicester City in the summer of 2023, the 27-year-old winger has failed to produce consistent performances to live up to that price tag.

Barnes has scored 15 goals and provided 19 assists in 75 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle, leaving his Transfermarkt value at £30m. That’s £8m less than what the club paid for him two years ago.

Its shape is in Premier League This season has been particularly disappointing. According to Sofascore, the Englishman has not scored any goals, created “two big chances”, and has not assisted a goal in seven Premier League matches.

That’s why the former Leicester star needs to step up in the coming weeks, as Wilson could look at his declining value and underwhelming production in front of goal and look to move on in January.

Another Newcastle player who is already on borrowed time under the new sporting director is Joe Willock, who has been worse than Barnes this season.

Why is Joe Willock having borrowed time at Newcastle?

The england midfielder’s time at st james park under Eddie Howe He could be in the January transfer window, as he does not appear to be a front-line option for the manager.

Willock has been an unused substitute on six occasions in all competitions this season, according to Sofascore, and has been an unused substitute in the last four matches in a row.

This suggests that the former Arsenal star has not done enough to get regular minutes in midfield, with Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Luis Maele all playing in front of him, with Jacob Ramsey also set to return from injury.

As you can see in the table above, Willock has provided less for the team than Barnes in the Premier League this season, with no goals, key passes, ‘big chances’ created or assists in his two appearances in the division.

Experienced floundering, that was He described it as “disappointing” By journalist Chris Waugh Last year, he also finished the 2024/25 season with no goals and two assists in 31 appearances for the Magpies.

This shows that Willock has failed to provide much in terms of quality from the central midfield position for over a year, which is why his time at the club may be coming to an end.

If the 26-year-old continues to find himself on the sidelines, being an unused substitute, Wilson could have a decision to make on his future when the January transfer window opens, as a move away from Tyneside may be the best option for all parties at that stage.