Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle is set to hold further auditions to determine his captain for the 2026/27 season, with Malick Thiaw making a strong early impression. The departure of Bruno Guimaraes has left the armband up for grabs, and several players have emerged as contenders.
Thiaw and Burn in the frame
World Cup star Dan Burn has returned to training and is a candidate to take over as skipper. Jaissle also knows Fabian Schar well from their time at Hoffenheim, and Joelinton, another former Hoffenheim player, is a senior figure in the squad. Both are expected to be part of the leadership group, though the camp is promoting a collective approach.
Wissa's surprise emergence
Yoane Wissa has emerged as a surprise leader during pre-season, building strong rapport with both senior and younger players. After the departures of Sandro Tonali, Bruno, Anthony Gordon, and Kieran Trippier, the DR Congo striker—who scored twice against Valencia—has helped steady the ship during the transition from Eddie Howe to Jaissle.
Jaissle commented after the 2-1 win over Valencia: "No, the captaincy band, it's the same as what I already said. I still have a couple of days, three friendly matches and a couple of training sessions to make the final decision. There is not only one captain, but there's also a leadership group, and they will solve the things."
Leadership group yet to be revealed
Thiaw, a German international, spoke well in a post-game press conference at the Mestalla, with Jaissle noting, "He had his birthday today, so that was a small birthday gift." A new skipper could also be brought in from elsewhere, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg—captain of Marseille and Denmark—a reported transfer target.
The formation of the leadership group is still undecided as Jaissle assesses his squad. He said: "It's too early. But for sure we will have a leadership group. It's important that it's not only on one player who has the captaincy band, it's more devised and more shared among the other players. Definitely, these guys will lead many things. I also like as a coach to listen a lot; it's not just me talking as a leader, it's also me listening, and that will be the approach with these guys."
