The Magpies endured a disappointing campaign last term, finishing 12th in the league and being eliminated from both cup competitions despite a summer of big spending.
Individual players stood out for Newcastle, but a major issue was that their often-reliable first-team core performed well below their usual standards.
That underperformance went largely unanswered by manager Eddie Howe, whose team eventually stumbled over the line to finish midtable in the Premier League.
Despite initially appearing set to stay at the club, the Englishman left his role at the end of July following the departures of key players Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.
Such dramatic change leaves plenty of questions surrounding Newcastle's chances in the upcoming season - but was it perhaps needed on Tyneside?
What went wrong last season?
Newcastle struggled last season in comparison to the expectations placed upon them.
The Magpies had consistently challenged the top five under Howe, but the loss of star striker Alexander Isak in the summer gave them a mountain to climb from the get-go.
The money generated from his sale was certainly invested back into the squad; although some fans will argue that the signings made haven't lived up to their price tags.
Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade, Jacob Ramsey, Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale all struggled at various points in the season, with defender Malick Thiaw the only clear-cut success.
Inconsistent performances, poor form away from home and some terrible results in isolation all contributed to a growing negativity surrounding the club before the season finally drew to a close.
With fan support towards Howe wavering, a much-needed summer break came along at the perfect time.
Summer 2026: A disaster or a blessing in disguise?
At least one of Newcastle's crown jewels - Gordon, Tonali and Guimaraes - was expected to leave for serious money in the summer.
The fact that all three have departed should raise alarm bells, despite the huge funds their sales have generated. That much quality is difficult to replace in one window, not to mention losing the leadership of club legend Trippier.
It also raises a question of ambition. How can Newcastle be expected to compete towards the top five of the Premier League when they sell three of their best players within weeks of each other?
On top of all that, the transfer activity partially led to Howe leaving his role less than a month before the season began, although it has been reported that while it was a factor, the manager felt he had taken the team as far as he could.
From the outside this does seem like a fair reflection after last season's struggles.
It would be easy to be very doom and gloom after the summer Newcastle have endured and it admittedly doesn't look good from an optics standpoint for the club and its ownership.
Where there is so much change, though, comes the opportunity to be optimistic about what comes next - and the Magpies have plenty of things to be excited about for the 2026/27 season.
Highly-rated manager Matthias Jaissle has arrived and brings a style of play that both suits the players already at the club and will excite fans at St. James' Park.
His fierce-pressing, fast counter-attacking philosophy has a great chance of bringing about improvements in the previously struggling Elanga and Wissa.
The roughly £245 million generated from player sales also allows for some big spending the other way.
Newcastle have deployed a new transfer strategy in targeting young, talented players from across Europe - hardly brand-new in football, but something the Magpies needed after last summer's failings.
Ewen Jaouen (aged 20), Bazoumana Toure (20), Sean Steur (18), Aladji Bamba (20) and Lukas Hornicek (24) have all arrived on Tyneside so far.
Supporters would likely not know too much about the arrivals, but that's part of the excitement at the switch in recruitment.
Worries over a lack of experience coming in also seem to have been squashed by reports linking the Magpies with a move for Marseille midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - although they will need far more to replace Guimaraes' quality and leadership
What to expect for the future
There is plenty to both question and be intrigued by when it comes to Newcastle's summer and what it means for the future.
Their new signings are exciting, but caveated by the point that they still need to add more proven quality to the squad after losing so many key players.
Full-back reinforcements are needed as well as another midfielder and a top-quality winger. If those objectives can be fulfilled, there is plenty to look forward to.
Jaissle is also exciting if a bit of an unknown quantity; he will need time to implement his ideas but brings a fresh new style that is needed at St. James' Park.
Such a drastic wave of change will rarely bring immediate results. There will undoubtedly be teething problems caused by appointing a new manager, losing key players and signing largely young, inexperienced talents.
Newcastle are a work in progress at the moment, and the honest answer as to what to expect from them this season, is that no one really knows.
But they are on the other side of their exodus of significant figures at the club and can now look to the future.
Things had grown stale under Howe and some of the old guard - Newcastle are into a new era in 2026, and it remains to be seen where they go from here, but it's a change that had been brewing for some time on Tyneside.