Newcastle United will not regret a penny of £3m Ipswich Town transfer | OneFootball

Newcastle United bought Daryl Murphy in 2016 for £3 million in a deal they still don't regret.

The Championship has been the host of some big football teams, but not many have come as big as Newcastle United.

The Magpies have spent a huge chunk of the last three decades in the Premier League, with the only exceptions being the 2009/10 and the 2016/17 seasons, when they were in the Championship.

Both of those campaigns were memorable for Newcastle, as they won the title to bounce straight back. In 2010, they recorded 102 points, but 2016/17 is remembered for Newcastle's use of their purse strings to have a very good squad for that level.

Before the campaign, the Magpies made many additions under manager Rafael Benitez, one of which may be forgotten, but they will be glad they got over the line: Daryl Murphy from Ipswich Town.

Newcastle United paid £3 million to sign Daryl Murphy in 2016

Darly Murphy spent the majority of his football career playing in the English Football League.

The Irishman started at Luton Town before going back to Ireland and then returning to England to sign for Sunderland.

The forward stayed with the Black Cats for five years, but spent a large part of it on loan at other clubs.

Murphy joined Celtic in 2010, and he spent three years with the Scottish side before he joined Ipswich on a free transfer.

It was with the Tractor Boys that the striker really impressed, becoming the club’s main outlet for goals and playing an essential role for them reaching the Championship play-offs.

So, in 2016, when Newcastle were preparing for life in the Championship, they decided to add Murphy to their ranks, despite him being 33 years old.

Benitez’s side confirmed the signing towards the end of August, with it announced that the deal would cost Newcastle £3 million, rising to £4 million if the club was promoted.

Murphy signed a two-year contract when he joined the club, and while he didn’t go on to fulfil it, it was a signing the Magpies will not regret.

Newcastle United will not regret the Daryl Murphy deal in 2016

Murphy didn’t end up staying with Newcastle United for very long; in fact, the forward only stayed at the club for the 2016/17 season.

Benitez was keen to make sure he had enough options in his squad, and adding Murphy was bringing proven Championship experience to his forward line.

So, with that season's success and them returning to the Premier League, the club felt there was no need to keep hold of Murphy for any longer.

That will have disappointed the Irishman, but neither he nor the club will likely regret the transfer. While he wasn’t as prolific as he was at Ipswich, he proved to be a worthy addition.

Murphy played 18 times for Newcastle in that single season, scoring six goals in all competitions.

15 of those appearances came in the second tier, and the forward scored five very important goals towards the club's promotion.

Murphy started seven times, and ended up averaging a goal every 0.65 times per game, as per Fbref.com. The striker did also contribute an assist.

Murphy took his chances well that season, only having eight shots on goal in total, five of which turned out to be goals. He averaged 1.04 shots per 90 minutes, and he picked up a goal 0.63 times per shot he took.

With hindsight, the former Irish international didn’t play as much as he would have liked, but he still contributed enormously. He took his chances when on the pitch and was credited with some very important goals that season for the Magpies. A January winner at Brentford was swiftly followed by him opening the scoring in a 4-0 route against Rotherham United.