Roy Keane has picked out Newcastle as one of the teams likely to disappoint in the 2026/27 Premier League season, and honestly, it's hard to argue with him. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast ahead of Friday's opening round, Keane backed Arsenal to defend the title while expressing serious doubts about where the Magpies are heading.
Newcastle finished 12th last season. They went out of the Champions League to Barcelona and reached the EFL Carabao Cup semi-finals — a return that flatters their league form. Against last season's top five finishers, they won just twice, both against the Manchester clubs, with one draw against Villa. That's the baseline Matthias Jaissle is working from.
The summer that changed everything at St James' Park
Three of Newcastle's most important players are gone. Bruno Guimarães joined Arsenal. Sandro Tonali went to Tottenham — a direct rival. Anthony Gordon moved to Barcelona for $82 million plus $11.7 million in add-ons. Combined with other sales, those departures generated $321.5 million.
Newcastle reinvested heavily — $229.96 million in total, the third-highest spend in the division behind Chelsea ($476.20 million) and Spurs ($311.67 million). In came midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, right-back Amar Dedic, goalkeepers Lukás Hornícek and Ewen Jaouen, and Gordon's direct replacement: 20-year-old Ivorian winger Bazoumana Touré from Hoffenheim for $56 million.
Touré's numbers last season — five goals, 12 assists — were actually stronger than what Gordon produced across the past two years combined. That's an encouraging sign. But replacing Guimarães and Tonali in the same window isn't a recruitment problem you solve by spending freely. Those are players who shape how a team plays. Newcastle's new midfield duo hasn't been tested at this level.
What this means for Sunday and beyond
Newcastle open at home to Liverpool on Sunday in a fixture that carries extra weight — both clubs will pay tribute to the late Kevin Keegan before kick-off. It's a baptism of fire for Jaissle, whose squad has been overhauled from the inside out.
The title odds already have Arsenal as favourites and City — now under Enzo Maresca post-Guardiola — as their main rivals. Newcastle aren't in that conversation, and their price to finish top half deserves scrutiny given the scale of what's been lost. Keane's pessimism might prove prescient before the nights even draw in.
