Howe must regret selling £33m Newcastle talent

Newcastle United have been immense over the past few months, restoring their winning consistency in the Premier League blitzing through Arsenal over two legs to set up a date with Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

To his credit, Eddie Howe is professionally pragmatic and will know that tough days lie ahead. However, with Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon supercharging the attack, anything is possible for this slick and stylish Tyneside outfit.

But hang on a moment – what about Jacob Murphy?

Jacob Murphy has been so important

Imagine Newcastle’s campaign, had Murphy failed to hit the heights that no one foresaw. He’s always been an industrious presence and an “unsung hero” – as he has been called by journalist Scott Wilson – of sorts under Howe’s wing, but this is something else.

Aged 29, Murphy has hit the richest vein of form of his career, notching five goals and eight assists from 25 matches (20 starts) in all competitions.

Selfless and dynamic, the English winger is a paragon of hard work and persistence, his easy connection with Isak is a testament to his awareness and intelligence too.

He’s more than just a cult hero: Murphy is an integral part of one of the Premier League’s most dangerous frontlines.

However, Newcastle are still going to push for a new right-winger in the summer, and rightly so, especially with Miguel Almiron sold to MLS side Atlanta United for £8m last month.

It’s a shame that Howe, reluctantly, has already cashed in on the perfect upgrade.

Howe must regret selling Murphy upgrade

Despite a promising loan spell at Arne Slot’s Feyenoord last season, Minteh was sold in the summer as Newcastle fought to circumvent Premier League profit and sustainability breaches.

Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion tussled for the rising winger’s services but it was the Seagulls who flew away with his signature, paying an irresistible £33m fee.

He’s only young but has demonstrated the blend of natural talent and potency in front of goal that would be perfect for Newcastle. Already, you can see that he’s on the way to becoming a better version of Murphy, more clinical and consistent.

Murphy has found a way to translate his work-rate into goals, but Minteh outstrips him across almost every metric, presenting him with a golden ticket to the pantheon of modern Premier League widemen, should he continue to ride the current wave of development over the coming years.

FBref actually records that Minteh’s clinical edge, fast athleticism, and combativeness have drawn statistical comparisons to Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo, two of the Premier League’s most exciting right-sided forwards.

More pertinently, they have both understood to be on Howe’s shortlist, making a telling comment on Minteh’s suitability within the Toon system.

Of course, PSR concerns effectively made the Gambian’s situation non-negotiable, for suitors were willing to pay the big bucks for his signature and it prevented the loss of one of the big three: Isak, Gordon or Bruno Guimaraes.

But it must sting all the same. Against Chelsea, the 20-year-old dominated against Marc Cucurella and Levi Colwill, taking them apart and bagging two goals to take his tally to five strikes and three assists across 22 Premier League games, including only nine starts.

While commenting on Brighton’s recent thrashing of Chelsea, pundit Jamie Carragher remarked that Minteh “has got the potential to be a real star.”

Whether he’s going to reach the heights anticipated is open to question, but you wouldn’t bet against it. Murphy is enjoying a wonderful purple patch but in this wild and fleet-footed winger, Howe must surely regret letting him go, even though he had to.

It’s clear that he’s got a straight road toward the very top.

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