Newcastle United signings this transfer window – The guidance is clear | OneFootball

A lot of talk, naturally, about Newcastle United signings.

Only 12 days to go until the summer 2023 transfer window opens (Wednesday 14 June) but that is only when new players can start to be registered, deals can be agreed before then and indeed plenty of Premier League clubs have already started their summer recruitment.

That 14 June window opening sees new players able to be registered from then on, though Newcastle United signings from overseas can’t be registered until we get to July.

There was always going to be a lot of excitement around potential Newcastle United signings this summer.

However, qualifying for the Champions League takes it to a whole different level, both in terms of excitement / anticipation and the potential of just who NUFC could bring in.

The Champions League extra oomph is a bit like the equivalent of you suddenly booking a full on top notch exotic holiday and your lass (or lad!) has recently dropped a fair few dress sizes, so the need / want to really push the boat out on new additions (to wardrobe / squad) goes through the roof.

A bit like sunstroke on one of those exotic holidays, the thought of Champions League football and the issue of Newcastle United signings that could be made, has seen a fair few NUFC fans lose their heads with a bad case of transfer-stroke.

If you see anybody who you think might be suffering due to issues relating to Newcastle United signings this transfer window – The guidance is clear.

Sit the person down and explain to them that this is a very different Newcastle United.

This is not a Newcastle United where you had a brains trust of Mike Ashley, Lee Charnley and Steve Bruce, assisted by shadowy Ashley Sports Direct people such as Keith Bishop and Justin Barnes, conspiring to sign players.

This Newcastle United is now one where ambitious owners are intelligent enough to out faith in football people such as Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe, to lead the decisions making, backed up by an ever expanding recruitment / scouting team. The NUFC owners know their job is to set guidelines of what kind of deals can be financially possible, then try and make them happen if Dan and Eddie give the green light.

Endless transfer targets will have been watched repeatedly, countless conversations had with agents / intermediaries as to potential Newcastle United signings.

Now it is just a case of seeing where they decide to go to first on their various lists of targets for each position that needs strengthening. Then it depends on getting the deal done or not, which other clubs are in for the player, is the transfer fee and wages within the framework of what Newcastle United want to be paying?

I think it is very obvious to look at last summer and what happened.

The summer 2022 transfer window followed a very busy January 2022 only months earlier, when borne out of necessity, permanent deals were done for Trippier, Burn, Wood and Bruno.

10 June 2022 – Matt Targett signs permanent deal (after original loan) for £12m from Aston Villa.

23 June 2022 – Nick Pope signs for £10m from Burnley.

1 July 2023 – Sven Botman signs for £35m from Lille.

26 August 2023 – Alexander Isak signs for £59m (plus £4m potential future add-ons) from Real Sociedad.

By the time pre-season training began in early July, Newcastle United had done the vast majority of their business, swiftly doing deals for Pope, Targett and Botman (who couldn’t be officially registered until 1 July 2022 as he was an overseas signing).

You may recall as well that long before the start of that pre-season training, a deal had already been agreed with Reims to buy young striker Hugo Ekitike. Eventually though that fell through, as he instead went to PSG.

I think that when that fell through, Newcastle United became very relaxed about whether a new striker would be added that window, or potentially keep the powder dry and move for someone in January (2023) instead.

One of the variables though that can move the goalposts is injury and whilst Callum Wilson with Chris Wood as back up was seen as a decent situation. When that became Wilson injured and wholly reliant on Wood when it came to out and out strikers, then the button was pressed. Wilson’s past injury record is always a concern and with now new concerns following the 3-3 draw against Man City on 21 August 2022 (Wilson didn’t play again until October 2022), Alexander Isak was brought in.

The transfer market is always a moving target, things constantly change, if either Ekitike had signed, or Wilson hadn’t got injured, would Alexander Isak still have become a Newcastle player? We’ll never know BUT sometimes things happen for a reason and the eventual outcome is the best one.

Anyway, last summer, Eddie Howe had his squad, old and new players, ready to hit the ground running when pre-season training began in July 2022. It will be the same this time.

I am not going to speculate on who exactly will be signed, plenty of that going on elsewhere!

However, I can say with absolute certainty that a number of signings will be made AND serious money spent.

Don’t believe everything that Eddie Howe says to the media, what is to be gained by exposing just how ambitious Newcastle United intend to be this window???

If looking at positions, then I feel we will see a left-back, a right-footed central defender (who probably can also play right-back), a defensive midfielder, a creative / attacking midfielder… this is the bare minimum. Players who almost certainly will be able /expected to play at Champions League level. Also, we can expect more and more younger players brought in for the future, on top of these first team signings.

Loads of preparation work will have been done, overseen mostly by Dan Ashworth, I believe things very laidback on the Newcastle United end of things.

Not complacent, instead, simply a case of being confident in the planning they have put together, knowing the players they are interested in signing and how likely it is that they can make the deal(s) happen. Then if for whatever reason a signing can’t be finalised, move on to another on the list.

In the 14 years of Mike Ashley that we suffered, it was repeatedly made out (with the help of a compliant media) as though signing new players was some very complex procedure, all but impossible to accomplish at times. The January 2013 window showed what a lie that was, as due to relegation fears, Mike Ashley allowed five French players to be brought in, in the space of a few weeks.

If you have done your preparation work and you are willing to be competitive on wages and transfer fees, then Newcastle United signings can and will happen. Especially with how the club is now run and what it can offer, Champions League football simply the cherry on top of a very large amount of icing.

A minimum of four or five Newcastle United signings will be made in the next month and very definitely with the aim of them being at Eddie Howe’s use from the start of pre-season training at the beginning of July, building up to the likes of the friendly at Rangers on 18 July and then on the plane to the United States for a bonding trip and three high profile friendlies.