So far, not so good for Newcastle United and their manager, Matthias Jaissle.
The Magpies head into Saturday’s Premier League match against Fulham having won just three of their nine games in 2026/27, drawing two and losing the other four, meaning they currently sit in 13th position in the English top flight.
Newcastle bubble has already burst
Fulham are two places and two points below them and will therefore leapfrog their opponents should they emerge victorious.
The bubble has burst very quickly after Jaissle started life in the Premier League with a pair of 2-2 draws against Liverpool and Bournemouth and a 2-0 win against Tottenham.
Amongst their results since then, the Magpies have been humbled 4-1 by both Leeds United and Coventry City, and have lost 1-0 to both Aston Villa and Everton at St. James’ Park.
12 goals scored in the league in 2026/27 is by no means the worst output, but nor is it the best, and even Ipswich Town, who are below the Magpies in the division, have managed to score 14.
Toney has worked with Jaissle before
It’s perhaps with this in mind that reports suggest that Jaissle wants to reunite with Ivan Toney, whom he coached at Al Ahli before making the move to Tyneside to replace Eddie Howe.
Though it’s not clear at this stage whether Toney himself would consider a move back to England, his reported €490,000 (£410,000) weekly salary isn’t likely to prove a problem for Newcastle’s ownership, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which also owns Al Ahli.
At 30 years of age, and in fact at any age, other clubs might baulk at the England international’s wages, but not Newcastle.
The club would apparently be interested in trying to persuade the player to link up with his former Brentford colleague, Yoane Wissa.
Quality of Saudi league is questionable
Though the quality of the Saudi Pro League is questionable, and certainly when compared to the Premier League, Toney has still left an indelible imprint – and one that he will be rightly proud of.
For example, his recent 8.5 Flashscore rating in the game against Al Gharafa is proof of how easily the striker can shape a game, and in 108 games in all competitions, he’s scored 85 goals and provided 18 assists.
Whether he could replicate that kind of attacking form back in England isn’t really a discussion point until he gets the chance to do just that, though he’s unlikely to be given as much time on the ball by Premier League defenders.
Of course, should Toney indicate that he might well be interested in a Premier League return, then perhaps it won’t be just Newcastle who will offer him a new home.
A target for Man Utd?
It’s understood that he’s been a long-term target for Manchester United, where he could link up with another Brentford old boy, Bryan Mbeumo.
With Benjamin Sesko’s long-term injury problems showing no signs of abating, one could expect the Red Devils to therefore be in the queue for Toney’s services.
Whether Michael Carrick would still be in charge come January, which is the earliest point that Toney could move, is a moot point.
Any potential replacement at Old Trafford – and former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is being talked up in despatches – will at least want to explore the possibilities given the striker’s goal output over the last few seasons, but there are caveats.
Poor recruitment at Newcastle
The real issue for Newcastle in particular is whether throwing money at another striker just because they can is the best way to go about things.
Their recruitment has already been shown to not be the best, thanks to their hire of Nick Woltemade. The German came highly regarded, but after a great start – four goals in his first five games – he pretty much disappeared without a trace on the pitch.
It’s no wonder that he was shown the door in double quick time, and now finds himself on loan at Juventus.
Questions must therefore be asked and considered before attempting to bring Toney home, too.
Is he the right stylistic fit for the way in which Newcastle play? How many goals is he likely to score? Should his trial for an alleged assault in 2028 affect whether the Magpies buy him or not? Is he worth almost £500,000 per week?
Ultimately, there’s a decision to be made, and if Jaissle is still in position come January, and he identifies Ivan Toney as the player he wants to help solve their problems, then the board of the club is duty-bound to do everything possible to ensure that happens.
Whether he would actually be the answer to all of Newcastle’s issues is another question entirely.