Newcastle United are ruing a missed opportunity to bolster their depleted midfield in the summer transfer window.
The Magpies can claim to have sold Sandro Tonali and captain Bruno Guimaraes at the top of their value but they did so unwillingly and were left with a problem in the middle of the pitch.
When two players of that level depart at the same time, the recruitment challenge they leave behind is a difficult one. More often than not, different profiles and a reimagined outlook are part of the fix.
Newcastle missed out on a transfer that would have solved an issue
Newcastle signed Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City but he was substituted due to a suspected concussion just 18 minutes into their 4-1 loss at Leeds United on Monday night, leaving new manager Matthias Jaissle facing an acute issue.
There are high hopes for Sean Steur, signed from Ajax in the summer and brought on to replace Gonzalez at Elland Road, but Newcastle were one injury away from a midfield pairing with an average age of 19.
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Lewis Miley is already a highly rated and well established member of the Newcastle team but Jaissle's only experienced central midfield options are Gonzalez and Joe Willock, the latter of which has been playing in a more advanced role under the German.
Aladji Bamba, like Miley, is 20 - and by the sounds of Jaissle's press conference communications, not ready. Steur and Bamba are exciting signings in the long run but Newcastle's midfield is short on numbers, light on experience and devoid of the kind of leadership both Guimaraes and Tonali had in abundance.
That's not lost on Newcastle. Just before the start of the season, their pursuit of a compelling signing with that very shortcoming fell through despite both clubs reportedly believing it was going to happen.
Indeed, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was even stripped of the Marseille captaincy when he pulled the plug on a £15 million move to St James' Park.
Hojbjerg would have been a short-term answer, but a good one. He's an experienced leader and an extra body, the perfect choice to come off the bench in situations like the one Jaissle faced on Monday.
The Dane, now 31, has no shortage of Premier League know-how. Hojbjerg amassed 145 appearances in the top flight in four seasons with Southampton and another four at Tottenham Hotspur.
He's a physical and streetwise presence who could have been an appropriate foil for Newcastle's young midfielders if the worst happens.
Unfortunately for Jaissle, the worst did happen and Hojbjerg remains in the south of France having apparently blocked the move.
Gonzalez suffered a suspected concussion in West Yorkshire and the introduction of Steur from the bench was processed as a concussion substitution. Gonzalez will miss Newcastle's next game against Hull City due to FA concussion rules.
