Very relaxed on Newcastle United signings before window closes | OneFootball

Newcastle United signings continue to dominate debate amongst fans.

Even though today we have the second Premier League match of the season, Eddie Howe’s (existing) players taking on Bournemouth.

As  write this, I make it around about another 135 hours or so to go, before the summer window closes at 11pm on Friday (30 August 2024).

For what it’s worth, I’m very relaxed on Newcastle United signings before that window shuts.

I always though we may have to be patient this summer, that the big deals could have to wait until late on. The Euros and Copa America playing a big part generally, in terms of Premier League clubs getting major deals done, as so many players not returning to their clubs until very close to the new season kicking off.

At St James’ Park it also doesn’t help that we have now got so many good players already, including a fair few that pretty much all other clubs, home and abroad, but would love to have. This means that it is a very small group of players who as Newcastle United signings would be expected to automatically improve our existing best NUFC eleven.

This isn’t January 2022 when it was pretty much a blank canvas for the first transfer window under Eddie Howe and the new owners, inheriting a dire relegation fight, there was a massive pool of potential Newcastle United signings out there who could/would improve the first team situation for sure. Five signings were made in January 2022, with Trippier, Wood, Targett, Bruno and Burn coming in. They didn’t just help turn Newcastle United from a relegation-bound team into one that reached safety, these signings played a key part in helping NUFC become the Premier League team with the third best form across the entire second half of that 2021/22 season.

Even though survival looked so likely, interesting to look back at that window and note that three of those five arrived so late in the window, Bruno arriving on 30 January 2022, Burn and Targett both confirmed on 31 January 2022.

The idea that new signings are essential to what happens early in a season and/or where the mid-season January window is concerned, is a bit of a myth. Certainly in the modern day.

‘Across those 17 clubs (not the three promoted clubs), only 14 new signings started at the weekend.

Only three clubs — Brighton and Hove Albion, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers — fielded more than one new signing from the outset.

More clubs — Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest — started with an entire side who were at the club in 2023-24.’

So last weekend, of the 187 Premier League players who started for the 17 clubs who were also in the Premier League last season, only 14 of the 187 were new to their clubs. Lewis Hall obviously having already been on loan last season at NUFC.

Despite the situation that faced Eddie Howe, his biggest signing in January 2022, Bruno Guimaraes, didn’t start a game for six weeks as Howe looked after him. Indeed, it wasn’t until into April 2022 that Bruno started his first game at St James’ Park after safety was pretty much already achieved.

Alexander Isak wasn’t signed until 26 August in the summer 2022 window but had to go straight into the team as Callum Wilson was injured.

Anthony Gordon signed for Newcastle on 29 January 2023 and he was looked after as well by Eddie Howe, only four PL starts in that first half season.

I think the reality is that certainly early in a Premier League season, it is the existing players who have been at the club some time, who are the ones you overwhelmingly rely on. Whilst in January a similar situation where new signings generally aren’t expected much of quickly, unless the situation forces it, as was the case at Newcastle in January 2022.

Yes, there have been changes at Newcastle United with a new Director of Football arriving and so on, but I think the reality is that nothing really changes, as it simply comes down to whether you will pay the necessary transfer fee and wages, with agents doing pretty much all the work to bring the deal to a final conclusion. You then need the selling club to be willing and the player see your club as an attractive destination. It is an expensive business but it isn’t complicated.

A bit like Everton were with Anthony Gordon, Crystal Palace are being similarly difficult with Marc Guehi. I am confident for sure that he will eventually sign for Newcastle United this coming week but like Everton, Palace trying to squeeze every last penny out of the deal and at least as importantly, try to save as much face as possible with their fans when their biggest asset is determined to leave and wants to join Newcastle United.

Eddie Howe gives nothing away and time after time lame questions from journalists are met with Eddie saying he has no idea what is happening with Newcastle United signings, isn’t directly involved and so on.

Of course he knows what is happening!

How daft would you have to be to think that he doesn’t, we’re not Chelsea!

You would have to be even dafter to believe that Eddie Howe is anything but key to any major signing that Newcastle United make, we aren’t signing anyone unless the NUFC Head Coach has their approval.

The club are clearly intent on spending money, this is not Mike Ashley territory.

However, all the ducks have to be in line before any signing is made, all parties need to be agreed at that moment in time.

The deals for both Lewis Hall and Lloyd Kelly were massive ones and thankfully ones that were far easier to get done early, so they could influence these very early games. Neither involved in the summer tournaments, Hall a permanent deal already triggered in reality, whist Kelly became a free agent at the end of June. So no other clubs to negotiate with and get agreement. I can’t say much about the two keepers but certainly I think Osula is also a very credible young signing and that deal relatively pain free.

The Marc Guehi one has been anything but pain free but I am sure it will happen, then hopefully also another key signing as well to happen this coming week, with at least one outgoing player heading out to help that new right winger come in.