Celebrating these positives for Newcastle United since last season ended | OneFootball

Newcastle United fans eager to see the new season kick-off.

However, I want you to appreciate this summer first.

The Newcastle United positives we have seen.

Things that have (and haven’t) happened since the 2023/24 NUFC campaign ended.

Seeing the Bruno Guimaraes contract release clause expire with zero drama

With things like this, easy to forget just how big a worry it was.

Certainly, right across the media, it was full of reports on clubs who would take our talisman away for the reported £100m release clause.

Instead, we got to July 2024, and Bruno Guimaraes is still a Newcastle United player.

I don’t go along with all this daftness that we are all supposed to suddenly believe, that Dan Ashworth was a rubbish Newcastle United Sporting Director just because he chose to join Man U, and Paul Mitchell will be a far better one for sure.

I think the reality is that both were/are very credible choices to have as Sporting Director and that Ashworth did plenty of positive stuff in his time at NUFC.  Paul Mitchell has a CV that strongly suggests he can contribute at least as well.

Won a penalty shoot-out

Yes, seems a long time ago now but Wednesday 22 May 2024 saw Newcastle United win on penalties.

In front of over 78,000 at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), United drawing 1-1 with Spurs and then won 5-4 on penalties.

The right side of PSR

Another June 2024 deadline was looming, with the last day of the month signaling the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

This was also the final day of the latest three-year accounting period (1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024), where PSR says you can lose no more than £105m (not all club expenditure counts towards PSR spending/losses).

The reported transfer fees for Elliot Anderson (£35m) and Yankuba Minteh (£33m) more than covered the £50m+ shortfall that needed to be covered by the end of June.

We have now reached 8 July 2024 and Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak are still at St James’ Park.

Keeping the team intact

Whilst the sales of Minteh and Anderson weren’t ideal, the fact is, that with less than six weeks until the new season kicks off, Newcastle United have indeed retained all of their top players.

None of the first-choice eleven have left and the truth is that both Minteh and Anderson would have been squad players at best this coming season.

Excellent recruitment

I don’t see the two new keepers as anything but cover but I think the permanent signings of Lewis Hall and Lloyd Kelly are superb business by Eddie Howe

I have zero doubt that £28m will prove to be an absolute bargain for lifelong NUFC fan Lewis Hall, a player I believe for sure will play regularly for England in the future.

Eddie Howe signed Lloyd Kelly for £13m when he was a 20-year-old playing in the Championship. To now get him for nothing as a Premier League-experienced 25-year-old, I think we are going to see this as an absolute steal by the end of next season.