New signings of quality vital to the Magpies
EDDIE Howe will likely be under no illusion about the challenge facing Newcastle United this summer.
It will be the head coach’s third transfer window at the helm and the remit facing the Magpies’ recruitment team has undoubtedly already shifted.
Gone is the need for signings to stabilise a club once in freefall.
By capitalising upon a golden opportunity to qualify for the Champions League, Newcastle must now operate in a different market after Howe himself admitted only ‘elite’ recruits will be considered.
Constant links to the likes of James Maddison and Dominik Szoboszlai are indicative of the calibre of targets occupying the Magpies’ shortlist this summer.
Newcastle find themselves competing in a smaller and more expensive market and while Howe is right to suggest only high-level additions will now benefit his side there is a sense the team are in need of both quality and quantity.
A first European campaign in a decade will further test the depth of a squad which has already been questioned.
The FA Cup third-round defeat at Sheffield Wednesday was a rare blip in an otherwise stunning season but it cannot be ignored the fringe stars were found wanting after the head coach made eight changes at Hillsborough.
Newcastle have already had to fend off critics of their recent achievements due to the owners’ transfer investment in the region of £250 million so far.
However, Erik ten Hag’s recent comments over Manchester United’s own spending proves why this is just the tip of the iceberg ahead of the next phase of the project on Tyneside.
The Dutchman’s first season in charge at Old Trafford has been a successful one with a return to the Champions League secured along with Carabao Cup success.
However, the Red
Devils were unable to prevent rivals
Manchester City from moving a step closer to the treble with defeat in the FA Cup final, having also finished 14 points adrift of the champions. Ten Hag was reportedly backed to the tune of £229m in his first window at the club, a figure close to Newcastle’s total spending since the takeover in October 2021.
Antony, Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez all arrived, adding to a squad which is currently valued at close to £740m by transfer market. Yet speaking after the narrow home win over Fulham which secured a third-placed finish, ten Hag raised eyebrows by suggesting the club’s investment was lacking in comparison to their rivals.
The Red Devils boss told reporters: “The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league, then you have to invest, otherwise you don’t have a chance because other clubs will do. “We’ve seen it in the winter - all the clubs around us made huge investments, we didn’t, but still we made it, so I’m proud of my team.
“We are going in the right direction but we are not where we have to be.
“There’s potential in this team and in individual players.
“We showed during the season we made progress, that’s a compliment to the players and the coaches.
The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league, then you have to invest, otherwise you don’t have a chance... Eric ten Hag
“We worked really hard but we have to make an investment.”
Manchester United were limited to three mid-season loan signings in the form of Jack Butland, Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst.
Yet it is telling ten Hag fears losing ground on those at the summit unless the Red Devils again commit to another ‘huge investment’.
It is a view shared by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who was on punditry duties for BBC Sport at Wembley as Pep Guardiola’s earned a 2-1 win.
The Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer stressed Manchester United must ‘spend big’ to close the gap, suggesting there was a need for ‘three or four big-hitters’ to sign.
Now, Newcastle’s remit for the coming season will not be to overhaul a City side on the brink of writing themselves into the history books.
Expectations will surely be to consolidate on their startling rise while also giving a strong account of themselves in the Champions League and the domestic cup competitions.
However, the price for standing still, let alone progressing, at the top of the table is now seemingly counted in the hundreds of millions.
Newcastle have proved they have a head coach and a starting 11 capable of mixing it with the very best but the squad needs to be levelled up to compete on four fronts next term.
The unexpected top-four finish has given the Magpies a welcome financial boost when it comes to Financial Fair Play and UEFA’s own sustainability rules.
However, ten Hag’s own transfer frustrations hint at the scale of the task now facing Newcastle as they prepare to embark on their ‘elite’ summer plan.