However, far from there being a positive outlook on the horizon, it appears that things could be about to go from bad to worse for the Magpies.
Wissa and Woltemade have been disappointing
Last summer, a protracted transfer saga involving Alexander Isak not only upset dressing room equilibrium but also gave Newcastle very few options in the marketplace in terms of a replacement.
Yoane Wissa was brought in from Brentford and was promptly injured, whilst Nick Woltemade - despite a great start to his career on Tyneside - has fallen by the wayside.
His form has nosedived to such an extent that the German hasn't scored a Premier League goal since his brace against Chelsea on December 20th last year, with his only goal since then coming in an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa in February.
It's little wonder then that Eddie Howe hasn't played him for 90 minutes in the English top flight since December 2nd, and why Woltemade has let it be known how unhappy he is, with Atletico Madrid being mooted as a possible new destination.
Just 10 goals and four assists in 49 games in all competitions isn't anywhere close to the level that the 24-year-old needs to be at if he wants to be a success at St. James' Park.
Not to mention that his pass completion stat of just 77.51% is the second-worst of all Newcastle's outfield players.
Were he and Wissa both to be dispensed with this summer, it would certainly raise huge question marks as to the recruitment at the club, not to mention who Eddie Howe could realistically sign as replacements, given the cumulative value of the pair would've depreciated significantly.
Gordon has agreed terms with Bayern
If the thought of losing two strikers wasn't bad enough, the news that their top scorer in this season's Champions League, Anthony Gordon, has agreed terms with Bayern Munich will send shockwaves through the Geordie faithful.
Reports in Germany note that the two clubs will now speak in order to try and find an accord in terms of price, with the Magpies apparently eyeing as much as £86m and the Bavarians preferring to start the bidding closer to £60m.
It's long been contended that Gordon could leave because of the rules surrounding Financial Fair Play, but when one considers his importance to the side, his sale would be another bitter blow to Howe's attempts to ensure the club remains amongst the elite both domestically and in Europe.
This season alone, the 25-year-old England international has 17 goals and five assists in all competitions, which isn't too shabby if you consider he's ostensibly a winger rather than a striker.
Indeed, his goals output actually puts him top of the pile, whilst his shooting accuracy of 62.12% is also close to the best at the club this season.
Brilliant all-round numbers
Woltemade and William Osula have a slightly better shot conversion rate than Gordon's 19.54%; however, the former pair have only attempted 48 and 33 shots respectively, whereas the Liverpudlian has attempted 87.
Gordon has also scored all nine of the penalties he's taken in 2025/26, with Newcastle only being awarded 12 in total.
With 10 fast breaks recorded, too, he's second only to Harvey Barnes (12) in this metric, so his importance to the Magpies in an attacking sense isn't in question.
Even his 48.43% one-on-one duel success rate is a significant upgrade on Woltemade's below-par 39.08%, and Wissa's abysmal 30.85%.
No European football for the Magpies in 2026/27
Such are the financial demands of modern football that arguably one of the club's better players might need to be sacrificed to balance the books, leaving a gaping hole to be plugged before Newcastle can even think about how they're able to come out of a difficult situation (concerning Woltemade and Wissa) smelling of roses.
The Magpies are, thankfully, better off than under the stewardship of Mike Ashley, though the bright new dawn that was promised by the Saudi Investment Fund hasn't really materialised to the degree that everyone expected.
No European football in 2026/27 is only going to damage the brand even further, and more so if other big names decide that they also need to move on to pastures new if they want to fulfil their career ambitions.
One can't help but feel sorry for Howe as he tries to navigate what's likely to be some exceptionally stormy waters, with one hand effectively tied behind his back.
