Sandro Tonali is not a Newcastle United player, yet, but the Italy international is already making an impact. Regular starters in the middle of the park know they need to up their game once more to keep their place in the side, recognising that this is a signing who will help take the Magpies to the next level.
Tonali, after all, set up nine goals for AC Milan last season, which was more than any of Newcastle's current midfielders. In fact, only Joe Willock came closest with six assists in 2022/23. Willock, Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton set up 17 goals combined last season, which is a decent return, but Newcastle have to keep evolving to keep pace.
Having another option to unlock a stubborn defence, particularly at home, will be important when more and more sides sit off at St James' Park. That is what teams such as Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Leicester City did last season and the trio went home with a point even though Newcastle dominated each of those games and had plenty of chances.
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Dean Smith may have since left Leicester, following an interim spell in charge, but the 52-year-old's defensive game plan will be finessed by other managers in the months to come after Newcastle managed to get into positions to hit the post three times. Smith felt moved to switch to a back five and drop his two top goal scorers, James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, after seeing how Newcastle 'steamrolled' Brighton just a few days earlier, and the former Leicester caretaker certainly won't be the last manager to 'make no apologies for the way we set up' at St James'.
When teams sit back, Tonali will be an asset as Newcastle look to turn potential draws into wins. Tonali has a creative eye, having proved as much at AC Milan last season, whether it was his cross for Olivier Giroud's volley against Spezia; his first-time reverse pass which played Rafael Leao in against Salernitana; or how the midfielder won the ball back in midfield against Napoli before releasing Leao with a superb ball with the outside of his boot.
Tonali will also offer Newcastle a different option from set-plays, which will be useful. Kieran Trippier has been Newcastle's first-choice taker, but Tonali could also chip in at a time when the black-and-whites do not have many other effective takers. Tonali set up half of Italy under-21s' goals at the European Championships with his set-play deliveries while 44% of his assists for AC Milan last season were from corners or free-kicks.
Trippier has previously joked about a new arrival taking set-pieces off him yet it would be a surprise if that happened - even if Newcastle 'only' scored 11 goals from corners and indirect free-kicks in the Premier League last season. Liverpool, in contrast, led the way with 17.
Why? Well, as ever with data, the headline figures do not always tell the full story. Digging deeper, according to Opta, Newcastle created 135 attempts from corner situations in the top-flight and 53 from indirect free-kicks. No side in the Premier League can rival those numbers hence why Man City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Newcastle as the 'best team in the league' from set-pieces.
For context, in the previous campaign, Newcastle only managed to create 80 attempts from corners, which put the Magpies in mid-table, while Burnley, Liverpool and Norwich City all had more chances from indirect free-kicks than Howe's side (41).
Last season's increase is not only owed to the players having more time with Howe and his staff but, also, with Trippier. Having only played seven matches in his first campaign with the club because of injury, Trippier was the only Newcastle player not to miss a single Premier League fixture last season and the England international's influence told as the team became a more attacking outfit that won more corners and free-kicks. In fact, across the last 20 Premier League campaigns, when Opta began collecting this data, Trippier created the most chances from set-plays (76) last season.
When those opportunities were put away, often, they led to crucial goals at crucial moments in games, including Bruno Guimaraes' opener against Brentford; Alexander Isak scoring Newcastle's first versus Wolves; Callum Wilson's clincher against Manchester United; Theo Walcott's own goal versus Southampton to make it 2-1; or Deniz Undav's own goal and Dan Burn's header in the penultimate home game of the season versus Brighton.
Away from the Premier League, it is not an exaggeration to say Newcastle would not have reached a first cup final in 24 years without Trippier. In fact, the Magpies might not have even got past Tranmere in the second-round of the Carabao Cup. Trippier changed the game when he came on with his side 1-0 down at Prenton Park and the 32-year-old's corners teed up Jamaal Lascelles' equaliser and what proved to be Chris Wood's winner.
While Trippier's deliveries have not always found their man, Newcastle's finishing appears the most pressing issue. Newcastle have plenty of height but that did not necessarily translate into goals from set-plays last season. Dan Burn, Fabian Schar and Sven Botman scored one goal combined from corners and free-kicks last season albeit it was a crucial one; Burn's header put Newcastle 2-0 up against Brighton as Howe's side closed in on Champions League qualification.
However, for Newcastle to go to the next level, the Magpies need to start putting away the chances Trippier and Tonali will inevitably lay on for them in the months and years to come.
