With added investment from new super-rich owners originating from the Middle East – new Saudi owners buying the club for a reported £300m after the disastrous reign of Mike Ashley as chairman was over – Newcastle have started to compete with the best of the best both in terms of league performance but also with transfers into St James' Park.
Sandro Tonali especially was a statement purchase for the Magpies, swapping Milan for Newcastle in the last transfer window with the Italian giants demanding a hefty £55m transfer fee to win the midfielder's services.
Unfortunate news around an impending ban for Tonali – alleged betting activity on the Italian's part could lead to him being sidelined – has come at the worst possible time for Eddie Howe's men – the 23-year-old performing well for the Magpies since leaving Serie A football behind.
How is Sandro Tonali performing?
Tonali has made a big impression on the Magpies faithful from only 11 appearances for Howe's side to date, scoring on his debut versus Aston Villa in a blistering introduction to Premier League life.
Newcastle would win 5-1 in this contest, overwhelming Unai Emery's sub-par Villa away team on the day. Tonali's sixth minute strike set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, the 23-year-old's movement into the area top class with Anthony Gordon's cross into the box inch perfect for the former Milan man to power home.
The central midfielder was also solid when Newcastle faced off against AC Milan in the Champions League group stages, the first time the Magpies had featured in this elite competition since back in the 2002/03 season.
He helped contribute to an effective shut-out of his former club, an excellent point on their travels at the San Siro backed up by an unbelievable 4-1 demolition job of PSG on home turf.
Newcastle will be rueing their luck therefore that Tonali has found himself embroiled in a betting scandal so early into his career with the club, but they could well have an ace up their sleeve from their academy to call upon to ease the blow in Lewis Miley.
Who is Lewis Miley?
Joining the Newcastle United Academy ranks at just seven years of age, Miley is highly thought of at the Magpies as a major talent for the future.
He would make his first ever appearance in the starting XI for the senior side in a pre-season friendly match against Al-Hilal in 2022, a reward for his development within the youth set-up.
In total, he's made 46 appearances for both the Newcastle United U18s and U21s – helping himself to seven goals along the way, alongside tallying up eight assists.
It's led to Howe giving him more first-team chances away from that solitary run-out in pre-season, making his first team debut for his hometown team at the end of last campaign – afforded 14 minutes at Stamford Bridge in May this year, holding himself well against Chelsea in a 1-1 draw.
Miley would even hit the crossbar with a speculative effort versus Chelsea, a sign that the youngster wasn't fazed by the bright lights of Premier League football.
The 17-year-old was delighted with his impactful cameo off the bench, stating "I have dreamt about that since I was a little boy" when questioned about the emotions racing through his head pulling on a Newcastle jersey.
The future certainly looks bright for this homegrown talent, and with Tonali expected to be handed a lengthy ban, Howe could well look to Miley as a bold, raw option through the centre.