Time for Newcastle United to move on now | OneFootball

A really good piece on Tuesday morning on The Mag, to do with summer transfer activity in and out at St James’ Park, I really recommend reading that article (‘Alexander Isak not for sale at any price as Newcastle United miss out on these priority signings’).

I just wanted to expand on that further.

The article was about an update in the media, on The Telegraph saying that Eddie Howe and Newcastle United were committed to not selling any key players this summer and that Alexander Isak wasn’t available at any price.

Whilst naturally all Newcastle United fans want to keep Isak, Tonali and others, indeed, see it as essential, it was the other half of the media report that has provoked most debate on The Mag and elsewhere.

That is, the players who Newcastle United are buying, or rather, not buying …

This article on Tuesday morning discussing what is an isn’t happening with Newcastle United signings this summer.

The only major first team signing having been Anthony Elonga, as well as teenage winger Antonito who will go initially into the Academy.

The reasons put forward for not more signings so far, is that Newcastle United have been trying to buy the more obvious signings, ones that rival clubs are also after AND these rival clubs the ones who have significantly bigger revenues than NUFC and can therefore pay higher transfer fees and wages if competing for the same players.

Eddie Howe and Newcastle United apparently trying to concentrate on Premier League proven and readymade players but struggling to land them. Whilst Anthony Elanga has been signed after an excellent couple of seasons in the Premier League, Newcastle said to also have been interested in signing the likes of Cunha, Mbeumo, Delap, Pedro and Huijsen, but not able to land any of them.

The same with Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle making an offer of £65m for the 23 year old but Liverpool landing him in a £79m deal and paying wages that are reportedly higher than any current NUFC player gets.

I don’t have any issues about this Newcastle United approach, nothing wrong with going for what Eddie Howe may have preferred, in terms of readymade proven Premier League players to help deal with next season.

What I do have an issue with, is that Newcastle United haven’t then swiftly moved on from not being able to sign these players, when they end up signing for other clubs.

It really is time now for United to move on, to focus on potential targets that we would have a better chance of succeeding with.

Why not go for quality players from other leagues?

Look at the success we have had with Bruno and Botman from Ligue 1, Isak from La Liga, Tonali from Serie A?

All of these players from other leagues have proved exceptional signings and none of them took many starts before they impressed us.

The same with young rising stars in the Premier League, who haven’t necessarily achieved too much as yet, haven’t played loads of PL matches. Look at how good Hall, Gordon and Tino have proved to be!!

Why not go for young players both from the Premier League and other leagues, as well as those in other European leagues who are more in their prime (aged 25 or so?) but haven’t yet played in England?

Bournemouth picked up Dean Huijsen for £14m from Juventus at the age of 19 only last summer, look at what an outstanding that proved to be.

For me, I can accept that for players who create and score goals, it will be far tougher to get them ahead of other clubs. However, I don’t think this is the case with defenders and goalkeepers, I believe there are far more of them out there, both here and abroad, who can be attracted and could/would improve this NUFC team and squad.

Even if another attacking player is a priority and needs to be worked on, no reason why Newcastle United can’t also be chasing AND signing the right sided younger and more mobile central defender that we have been needing to add to the squad for some years.

The much improved PSR position means that it is possible to sign the four or five players minimum we need this summer for various areas of the team and squad. Anthony Elanga ticks one big box but we need the other three or four ticking as well. I am not meaning and don’t think we have to pay £55m or more for each and all of these other necessary targets, for me it would be a mixture. Another couple in the same ballpark as Elanga in terms of price tag, a couple of others for significantly less.

Yes, Newcastle United have tough competition when it comes to signing proven top quality Premier League players.

However, there are far more other options out there as described above, plus the fact is that Newcastle United are now back to being a trophy winning club that has Champions League football to offer and can pay Premier League level wages, far higher than most players get in the other European leagues.

Just over three weeks to go until the Premier League starts again and less than six weeks until the transfer window closes.

Time now for Newcastle United to target AND sign the players that they can successfully bring in.