Forget Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle have new star man with 100% and 67% stats

Bruno Guimaraes left a gaping hole in Newcastle United's midfield after his £75million move to Arsenal earlier this summer.

That's without even mentioning the loss of Sandro Tonali, Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon, but the Brazilian's exit was especially impactful.

During 2025-26, Guimaraes was the club's top goalscorer and assister in the Premier League, ending the campaign on 14 goal contribuions.

Nick Woltemade was the only one of his teammates to reach double digits, and he could barely get a start at St James' Park come the end of the season.

While the Magpies have splashed a lot of cash on incomings so far this summer, there has been huge concern over who would be Matthias Jaissle's go-to playmaker.

Those worries can certainly be put to bed, though, as it would appear Trippier's direct replacement is now the key man for Newcastle.

Amar Dedic provides hope for Matthias Jaissle's attackers

The Magpies signed Amar Dedic from Benfica for £31m just nine days ago, but the right-back is already proving his worth at St James' Park.

He was integral during the 2-2 draw with Liverpool, even setting up the counter-attack for Anthony Elanga's opener with a perfectly-timed sliding tackle.

Now, Newcastle are through to the next round of the Carabao Cup, having beaten West Brom 3-2 on Wednesday, 26 August, and much of it is down to him.

In 90 minutes, the 24-year-old grabbed two assists with an xA (Expected Assists) of 0.34, created three chances and completed 100 per cent of his dribbles [FotMob].

From full-back, he deliverd seven crosses, won 67 per cent of his ground duels, made two tackles and two recoveries, and even won a foul.

Given how important Guimaraes was for set-pieces last season, Jaissle may have already found a very simply solution to his departure in a different position.

Newcastle still have time to sign another playmaker

Newcastle certainly won't want to rely on Dedic as the sole creator in the squad, definitely given his position, but he's undoubtedly a solid signing.

The Magpies are one of the clubs interested in a late move for VfB Stuttgart's Bilal El Khannouss, who notched nine goals and seven assists last season.

Lille's Matias Fernandez-Pardo is also an option, and the two targets are very similar in terms of output. The price tags are likely to be a determining factor, though.

Newcastle have done some very interesting business this summer, and it would be a surprise if there weren't any further twists before the window closes.