Former Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton is amazed Joelinton is still playing in midfield for Newcastle United. A club-record £40million was stumped up to sign the Brazilian in July 2019.
Initially signed as a striker, Joelinton was tasked with filling the void left by Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez - who bagged 23 goals between them in the previous campaign. However, the then 23-year-old - adapting to a new league, country and language - struggled, and a crisis in confidence ensued.
Joelinton soon fell out of favour on Tyneside and an exit was reportedly on the cards, with Turkish clubs understood to be interested. However, a dramatic on-field transformation under Eddie Howe makes him a firm fans’ favourite.
