CATCH UP PATCH UP STAY UP?
IN the 14 January windows under Mike Ashley, Newcastle spent around £91million on new players.
In the last 31 days, under the new Saudifunded ownership, the club has pledged around £91m on new players.
But have they done enough? Have they landed enough of their top targets?
How can you have £40m more available, and only bolster the attack with Chris Wood?
The only answer will come in May if Newcastle stay in the Premier League. But, for now, the jury is still out on the success of the window given their financial firepower.
This was 31 days of playing catch-up and patch-up to revive a squad that had stagnated and been neglected.
Even now the outlay doesn’t absolutely guarantee their top-flight survival.
If the Toon take anything from this window, it must be how to land your top targets. Sven Botman and Diego Carlos stalled. And on deadline day Hugo Ekitike refused to come.
But they have bought two big upgrades, got squad options and optimism – and Tyneside fans would rather this than the deadline-day duds of previous years.
The injection of new talent simply solidifies them as a worthy Premier League club, catching up with rivals who have spent much more in past seasons.
Credit is being given to the new owners, led by Amanda Staveley, and guided by Eddie Howe (arriving in Jeddah, above) and head of recruitment Steve Nickson. At least they want better.
It is only the start of the “exciting” vision outlined to the players and Howe last week in Jeddah by owners, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
Geordie fans have loved the novelty of lots of transfer cash being sloshed around.
A debate is raging, though, as to whether or not they have improved the side significantly, especially in creativity and goal threat. Brazilian playmaker Bruno Guimaraes, landed for £40m, is the biggest coup.
A ball carrier from deep, a passer and someone hard to dispossess, he will wrestle more control in midfield and is big upgrade.
Kieran Trippier is the same. The first current England star to sign for Newcastle since Michael Owen 16 years ago, and for just £12m.
He adds delivery from the right, tenacity in oneon-one duels and leadership. Expect him to be captain soon.
Striker Wood’s £25m arrival damaged relegation rivals Burnley, worth £10m of the fee alone. He has a decent goals record, won multiple aerial duels in the win at Leeds, but is yet to score and could end up on the bench when Callum Wilson returns.
The return home of Cramlington lad Dan Burn is left-field but made sense, given he’s been one of Brighton’s best players this season.
But deals for top defensive targets Botman and Carlos faltered, amid claims of price hikes and a “Newcastle tax” because of their wealth.
The Magpies have had problems at left-back, Burn can cover there, and Matt Targett’s arrival on loan from Aston Villa adds a specialist. Until he sold up in October, Mike Ashley (left) ran a tight ship, avoiding the risk of getting into long-term external debt.
In 2021, the only arrival was Joe Willock, first on loan then in the summer for £25m. In the summer of 2020, Steve Bruce extracted £25m or so out of Ashley to land Wilson – without his goals they’d have gone down – and Jamaal Lewis. Jeff Hendrick was signed on a free, as was Ryan Fraser.
In the summer of 2019, Allan Saint-Maximin arrived for £16m, Emil Krafth for £6m, and Andy Carroll on a free.
These days, the Toon are in a different investment league.
With the likelihood of multi-Saudi sponsorship deals in the pipeline, this window won’t be the last Newcastle splurge as the owners flex their financial muscle.
Saudis have pumped same amount into the club that Ashley did in FOURTEEN
January windows... but that still doesn’t guarantee safety