Joelinton opens up on his initial struggles at Newcastle United - It wasn't the price tag that affected him but something else

It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Joelinton was considered one of the worst players Newcastle United had ever seen, and I don't think that's being hyperbolic.

Joelinton was signed for £40 million from Hoffenheim in 2019, a club record fee for Newcastle, and the Brazilian was handed the iconic number 9 shirt and deployed as a lone striker ... despite having never played that position before.

The Brazilian was a forward at Hoffenheim, but he played mostly on the left side of the attack.

It soon became clear that Joelinton was not a striker, certainly not one suited to playing up front with no support, and he soon became a laughing stock, and fans would have accepted 40p just to get him out of the club.

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Joelinton wasn't affected by his hefty price tag, but the shirt on his back

Obviously, now, we wouldn't take £80 million for him as we all love him, and now that he's playing in a position that suits him, he's absolutely magnificent and a fan-favourite.

So what was the problem for Joelinton when he arrived? Other than being played out of position, that is. Many thought it was the weight of his £40 million valuation, but in fact, it was something else entirely as he told ESPN in Brazil.

“I don’t think the value [of the signing] interfered [with his performance]. I think the weight of carrying the No. 9 shirt, which is very heavy at this club, did… There’s the tradition of Alan Shearer,” he said.

“As for the price, we see astronomical prices in football. So, it’s not my fault that it cost that much. It was the clubs [who negotiated the price]. So, in terms of value, it never got in my way.

‘Yes, it did, being the number 9… Having to solve problems, score goals. And things didn’t work out the way we wanted at first. But I don’t regret it. It was an important step in my career. I’m very proud to be able to wear the shirt of this club.”

Joelinton was spotted wearing a Shearer shirt in the stands last week

It seems that his issues with the number 9 shirt and Alan Shearer are well and truly in the past after he was spotted in the stands last week wearing a retro Newcastle shirt with SHEARER 9 printed on the back, much to the disgust of a certain couple of gobshite YouTubers who got thoroughly roasted by our YouTube contingent for their twisted views.

Joelinton is likely to miss the rest of the season after finally succumbing to a knee injury that's been niggling for months.

That being said, Eddie Howe has hinted that the Brazilian is working very hard to return before next week's season finale, so who knows?