Newcastle will regret Victor Froholdt transfer blunder, the in-depth data is telling
Newcastle are surely regretting failing to sign Victor Froholdt in the summer as he shines for Porto this season.
Bruno Guimaraes' exit saw Newcastle linked to several top midfielders towards the end of the summer transfer window.
Porto starlet Froholdt was closely linked to St James' Park in the lead-up to the deadline, but they considered his £73million release clause too expensive to trigger at the time.
Nico Gonzalez instead arrived from Man City, and while he did well before being sidelined with a concussion, it does look as if Newcastle have dropped the ball in failing to sign Froholdt.
The Denmark international has been key to Porto's strong start to the campaign and recently shone in their vital win over main rivals Benfica.
He is now unlikely to end up on Tyneside, and instead looks set to make a huge move away from the Portuguese giants to a wealthy European club next summer.
Victor Froholdt's form shows how good he could have been for Newcastle
Newcastle were keen on Froholdt, but reports stated that they did not want to splash the cash after he had only proven himself in one campaign at Porto.
The 20-year-old registered eight goals and seven assists in 51 appearances during his debut season at Porto after joining from FC Copenhagen.
He has carried such fine form into this campaign, scoring his first league goal of the season in their 3-1 win over Benfica on Sunday.
Froholdt was key to securing victory for the league leaders, with 100 pass accuracy, two chances created, seven defensive contributions and four fouls drawn.
He is already among the midfield leaders in the Portuguese top flight for expected assists, non-penalty xG, touches in the opposition box and blocked shots per 90.
Porto are yet to drop a single point in any of the seven games he has started so far this season, and they clearly felt his absence in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Man City.
Newcastle could have had one of Europe's best young midfielders among their ranks this season, but securing his signature now seems unlikely as he continues to impress and gain high-profile admirers.
Which positions are the priority for Newcastle in January?
Matthias Jaissle has overseen a decent start to the season at Newcastle, with the next three weeks off likely allowing him to focus more on their plans for the near future.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle will look to address the right-wing, centre-back and left-back areas above any other positions in the winter window.
Other positions could be focused on if outgoings happen, but it does seem as if Jaissle is content with his midfield options as they are for now.
Froholdt looks likely to be one that got away for the Magpies, and they will be hoping that he does not have as good as a career as many have tipped him to going forwards.