Newcastle United have made a number of eye-catching and big-money signings since PIF officially completed their takeover of the club from Mike Ashley back in October 2021.
Eddie Howe was quickly appointed as the team's new head coach, after Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties, and the English tactician was allowed to splash the cash in his first transfer window in charge.
In January 2022, the former Bournemouth manager swooped to sign Matt Targett on loan, and Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Chris Wood, and Bruno Guimaraes on permanent deals in an attempt to propel his side up the table.
The rest, as they say, is history as the Magpies went on to achieve survival and then pushed on – with the help of signings like Sven Botman and Alexander Isak – to qualify for the Champions League the following season.
Of that initial raft of signings under PIF and Howe, Wood is the only player no longer at the club as Trippier, Burn, and Guimaraes remain key players, and Targett is still on the books.
The Newcastle boss could, however, rue cashing in on the New Zealand international as he has been in terrific form in the Premier League this season, outscoring current Toon star Callum Wilson.
How much Newcastle sold Chris Wood for
Nottingham Forest initially signed the attacker on loan in January of last year – 12 months on from his move to St. James' Park – with an obligation to make it permanent for £15m in the summer.
That came after Newcastle had paid a staggering £25m to sign him from Premier League rivals Burnley back in 2023, to bolster their strikeforce at the time.
He arrived as a proven scorer in the top-flight, with a return of 49 goals in 144 league appearances for the Clarets, but could only muster up two goals in 17 matches and 15 starts for the Magpies during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Wood then spent the first half of the following season with Newcastle and produced two goals in four starts and 18 appearances in total in the Premier League.
Howe then decided to ditch the former Burnley star midway through the 2022/23 campaign by selling him – via an initial loan spell – to Nottingham Forest, after a return of four goals in 19 top-flight starts in one year on Tyneside.
His current form for the Tricky Trees may be making the Magpies regret that decision, as he has outscored Wilson in all competitions this term.
Callum Wilson's season in numbers
The England international came into this season off the back of a terrific return of 18 goals and five assists in 36 matches for Newcastle in all competitions last term.
His form has dropped off slightly during the current campaign, however, as the 32-year-old number nine has plundered eight goals and one assist in 22 games in all competitions.
The former Bournemouth star has not been at his clinical best in front of goal. He has scored seven goals from an xG (Expected Goals) of 7.35 across 16 outings in the Premier League, after 18 goals from 17.49 xG last season.
Wilson has missed six 'big chances' in the division this season as he has been wasteful with the opportunities that have come his way at times.
Chest – ongoing
42
7
Calf – December 2023
37
6
Hamstring – November 2023
31
6
Hamstring – September 2023
13
4
Virus – November 2022
10
2
Hamstring – August 2022
35
7
As you can see in the table above, injuries have played their part in Wilson's struggles as the centre-forward has already missed 23 games and counting through injury this season.
His consistent availability issues appear to have finally caught up with him as the striker has not been a reliable performer for Howe and Newcastle during the current campaign, in terms of both his availability and his finishing in the final third.
Despite his struggles, however, only Anthony Gordon (ten) and Isak (16) have scored more goals for the Magpies in all competitions, which suggests that the English boss does not have a plethora of regular scorers available to him at this moment in time.
Chris Wood's goalscoring form for Forest
The 32-year-old star, who is the same age as Wilson, has been in terrific form in front of goal for Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo this term.
He has only missed eight games through injury all season, less than half as many as the Newcastle striker, and has only been absent for 20 matches since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, which shows that he is reliable when it comes to availability.
Wood has also been reliable at the top end of the pitch for Forest this term, with a return of ten goals and one assist in all competitions for the club.
The former Leeds marksman has produced nine goals and one assist in 11 Premier League starts and 22 appearances in total throughout the season, with those nine strikes coming from an xG of 6.04.
Three of those goals, of course, came in a 3-1 win for Forest against Newcastle at St. James' Park earlier this season, as the impressive target man scored with all three of his shots in the match.
Appearances
22
16
Starts
11
8
xG
6.04
7.35
Goals
9
7
Big chances missed
2
6
Assists
1
1
As you can see in the table above, Wood has outperformed Wilson in front of goal this season by scoring more goals from less xG, along with four fewer 'big chances' missed, whilst they have both only assisted one goal.
Howe could, therefore, rue selling the New Zealand international as the Magpies boss could have done with that level of scoring power this season, given the English forward's struggles both on and off the pitch with form and injury.
Newcastle will now be hoping that Wilson can return from his current issue and get back to his best on Tyneside to ensure that the club do not continue to look back on their £15m sale of Wood with regret.
