The reality – Newcastle United and Premier League rivals summer 2025 business | OneFootball

I have been having a look at the 2025 summer transfer business of Newcastle United and their Premier League rivals.

Looking at the reality.

I am writing this on Friday night, 4th of July, the 28th day when Premier League clubs could have bought and registered new signings.

The popular opinion appears to me, to be one of Newcastle United lagging behind, whilst all their Premier League rivals are racing ahead and signing player after player.

Do the actual facts back that up though?

The transfer market opened early, specifically for the benefit of clubs taking part in the farcical FIFA Club World Cup. So no surprise that both Chelsea and Manchester City ended up being very active early on with summer transfer business. Liverpool as well, a powerful position as reigning champions, needing two new full-backs and having spent precious little the past year, no surprise that they had new signings lined up early and were able to easily attract them.

What about the rest though? Newcastle United and their Premier League rivals?

Arsenal – A lot of talk about who they want to buy but reality is that so far they have only paid £5m for a reserve keeper (Kepa).

Nottingham Forest – Haven’t bought anybody.

Manchester United – A club in crisis that had a disastrous 2024/25 season and yet they have only bought one player. Man U able to buy Cunha because he had a release clause figure BUT Ratcliffe’s lot struggling to make any other signings. That includes Mbeumo despite five weeks of negotiations, so far.

Aston Villa – Not a single first team signing.

Everton – Only one signing, a loan converted to permanent (Alcaraz).

West Ham – Only one signing, a loan converted to permanent (Todibo).

Wolves – Only one signing, Fer Lopez, who had only played 17 senior games for Celta Vigo.

Fulham – Not a single signing.

Crystal Palace – A 32 year old keeper on a free transfer (Benitez).

Brighton continue their wholesale buying and selling, whilst Brentford and Bournemouth have both made signings but none of those would have been of interest to Newcastle United.

Same story with the three promoted clubs, they have all bought players but not ones that I could imagine Newcastle United having been interested in, nor others also further up the food chain. Fact is that promoted clubs have to buy players to stand even a remote change of staying up. Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich spent a fair bit between them for al the good it did, last summer Ipswich alone had a net spend of over £130m on new signings as they attempted survival.

Having had a good look at the Premier League signings (and departures) listed by Sky Sports, I think there is a clear reality that sticks out.

Apart from Liverpool and the two clubs in the Club World Cup, I think Newcastle United are in a very similar position to most of their Premier League rivals. Building towards making the signings they will do this summer but waiting for the market to properly warm up, for deals to happen that then lead to other deals.

For example, with The Times reporting that Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have agreed a £55m transfer fee for Anthony Elanga, if/once that deal is completed, then Forest will then look to spend that money elsewhere. July is normally when things start moving and United’s past summers under Eddie Howe and these NUFC owners have only seen one first team signing made before July, which was £10m for Nick Pope in summer 2022. A move that I strongly suspect was able to made because of a transfer release figure, certainly the price of £10m for an England international in his prime looked ridiculously low.

Either no first team signings at all so far, or the odd player they already had on loan now converted into permanent deals, that is where most of NUFC’s Premier League rivals are currently at.

I think also worth pointing out that many of these other Premier League clubs have also seen players move on this summer, who at the very least were valued members of their first team squads last season. Which isn’t the case at Newcastle United.

It isn’t a case of being complacent with Newcastle United’s current position on signings so far BUT a realisation that NUFC are no different to most AND when you are looking for players who can try and improve on a trophy winning Champions League qualifying team, then you aren’t looking at a massive pool of potential signings who would be good enough.

For what it is worth, I think the next week or so will see Anthony Elanga and James Trafford arrive as a minimum and then we can all start to feel a bit better and more confident about where this summer’s transfer business is heading.