Cash in New Year is Bruce’s squad focus
the transfer market; can you get what you really want? If you can’t, have the balls to say no.”
Newcastle’s scouts have been busy and even if a long-term target does not necessarily arrive in January, the coming months will be important when it comes to do doing the groundwork for 2020 as a whole.
Allan Saint-Maximin and Jetro Willems were aware of Newcastle’s interest last winter while several “outstanding” scouting reports had been filed on Joelinton long before the Brazilian completed his club-record move in July.
As well as sitting down with head of recruitment Steve Nickson and his team before the window opens, Bruce is due to have a meeting with managing director Lee Charnley this week.
With so many players out of contract next summer and the summer after that, some big decisions need to be made and the club hope to tie down Matty Longstaff and offer improved terms to brother Sean.
A number of fringe players will be free agents next summer – from Karl Darlow to Federico Fernandez – while a decision will have to be made on whether to make Jetro Willems’ loan move permanent.
In 2021, a host of firstteam regulars, including Fabian Schär, Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Matt Ritchie, are also out of contract.
Charnley has been speaking to a number of players’ representatives behind the scenes in recent months and Martin Dubravka, who has attracted interest on the continent, revealed he was “close” to signing a new deal last month. Encouragingly, Schär is happy at St James’ Park while Hayden, whose previously had doubts about his future, was encouraged by the club’s business last summer.
We have already seen how difficult it is to find replacements who can immediately fill the void left by Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez. Going forward, keeping hold of these key players will be crucial for Newcastle United.