After a difficult debut campaign at St James’ Park, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa offered encouraging signs during their performances at the World Cup.
The pair combined for five goals at the tournament, matching their entire goal tally from their first season together at Newcastle United.
Head coach Eddie Howe had already expressed faith in the club’s summer recruits, saying: “I believe in all those signings. I think they will come good.”
Newcastle spent over £100m net last summer, but aside from defender Malick Thiaw, the club did not see enough immediate return on that investment.
The club are already looking to bolster their squad further, currently finalising a move for Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Toure as they seek reinforcements.
Elanga entered Sweden’s second group game as a substitute with his side 4-0 down against the Netherlands, yet scored within four minutes of coming on.
The 24-year-old carried that momentum into his next match against Japan, cutting inside to curl home a fine equaliser as a starter.
Former Newcastle and Sweden team-mate Emil Krafth offered a glowing assessment of the winger, saying: “He’s the kind of player that can change a game.”
Elanga had his moments during his debut Newcastle campaign, including a double at the Nou Camp in the Champions League knockout stages, but consistency proved elusive.
A source close to Elanga suggested his character will prove crucial in bouncing back, noting: “He’s not got the mental capacity to allow himself to fail.”
Krafth drew comparisons between Elanga’s situation and Anthony Gordon’s difficult early spell at Newcastle after joining from Everton, before the winger eventually flourished following a confidence-boosting tournament with England Under-21s.
“I think the second season for Anthony is going to be different,” Krafth said, adding: “He knows what he’s going to come into. He’s a bit more prepared and knows what the manager wants from him.”
Wissa endured an even tougher introduction to life at Newcastle, pushing to leave Brentford in a £55m move before suffering a disrupted pre-season and a knee injury while on international duty.
He scored three goals in his first six starts but struggled for rhythm thereafter, with a lack of training time catching up with him during a relentless fixture schedule.
However, Howe felt he saw the “best of him” in training during April, suggesting Wissa was finally finding his feet after building up his fitness.
Krafth acknowledged the challenges of adapting to Newcastle’s demanding environment, stating: “When you come to a new club, you don’t know what to expect. Especially Newcastle with the way we trained and the way we played. I don’t think any player is ready for that intensity.”
Wissa scored DR Congo’s first ever World Cup goal, a fine header in a 1-1 draw against Portugal, before producing a man of the match display in a 3-1 victory that took his country into the knockout stages for the first time.
He struck the post against England in the last 32 in a game his side ultimately lost, but it was still a tournament that demonstrated exactly what the striker is capable of.
“I didn’t show my best face at Newcastle,” Wissa admitted during the tournament, “but I knew that my time would come.”
Newcastle will now cautiously hope the World Cup performances of both players represent a turning point as the new Premier League season approaches.
