You might not like Newcastle United transfer policy but can’t argue against the reasoning | OneFootball

The Newcastle United transfer policy is under scrutiny.

Into July and no first team signings yet.

Journalists and Newcastle United fans alike, questioning what is happening?

So is the Newcastle United transfer policy fit for purpose?

I suppose the first thing to say, is exactly what do we mean by the Newcastle United transfer policy.

For many fans, they see it as a policy that is going wrong, where the club aren’t dynamic enough in chasing down targets, aren’t acting early enough, aren’t prepared to pay whatever it takes in wages and transfer fees to get signings over the line.

That isn’t though what I mean by the Newcastle United transfer policy.

I have no idea, like the rest of you, as to whether or not the club have acted as speedily enough this summer, I suspect that is a bit of a red herring. Before we got to July it was widely reported and accepted by Newcastle fans, that the club had bid some £125m for three players – Trafford (£25m), Pedro (£50m) and Elanga (£45m). That became £135m in total, when the Elanga offer was increased to £55m.

Getting in first with a bid for Joao Pedro made no difference, as it turned out he had apparently always intended to go to Chelsea, as so many Brighton employees tend to do!

As for both Trafford and Elanga, it appears for sure that Newcastle United are still pursuing them and trying to negotiate final deals. Other targets getting mentioned as well that United are after.

The idea of just paying whatever a player and/or club demands is just not real world. Very few, if any, clubs operate like that. It is a sure way to the poor house just paying top dollar for everything.

What I mean by Newcastle United transfer policy

When I talk about the Newcastle United transfer policy, what I’m talking about is the age thing.

Since the relegation fighting first (January 2022) transfer window, Eddie Howe and NUFC have paid a transfer fee for only one outfield player older than 23, that was Harvey Barnes who was aged 25 when he signed for United in summer 2023.

The Newcastle United transfer policy is quite clear.

Tino Livramento, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall, Yankuba Minteh, Sandro Tonali, Will Osula,

All of them aged 23 or under when signing for Newcastle United.

Anthony Elanga, James Trafford, Joao Pedro – all of them aged 23 or under. No coincidence.

If as a club you have a transfer policy of only paying significant money for signings who are aged 23 or younger (certainly no older than 25) then you are obviously ruling out most players who get bought and sold in any transfer window.

The Newcastle United player recruitment under Eddie Howe has been spectacularly good. Easily the best of any Premier League club in that time.

Not only buying what turn out to be very talented players, but they have also been players with their best years ahead of them. Indeed, all of those listed above, STILL have their best years ahead of them.

It is a brave Newcastle United transfer policy but also one that has been essential if NUFC were to have any chance of competing with clubs who have far more freedom to spend cash on transfer fees and wages.

You look at say Tino Livramento (£32m plus potential future add-ons) and Lewis Hall (£28m), bought for a total of £60m in guaranteed transfer fees. You are looking at potentially the England full-backs for the next decade and each are valued at easily beyond what Newcastle United paid for both of them. The reality is that Newcastle United couldn’t afford to buy either of these class full-backs, now they have shown just how good they are.

Another perfect example and comparison, is Alexander Isak and his international teammate Viktor Gyokeres.

Newcastle United paid £63m for a 22 year old Isak in August 2022, Arsenal are reported to have offered £69m now for a 27 year old Gyokeres.

Eddie Howe and United have already had a stunning three seasons from the striker and yet he is still only 25 with his best years ahead of him, years that Newcastle United and their fans can enjoy, or of course if for any reason he did leave, United would as a minimum get twice as much as they paid for Alexander Isak and that financial spending power would then allow Newcastle to buy a replacement and other players.

If indeed Gyokeres does sign for Arsenal, in three years time he would then be in his thirties and have a rapidly diminishing transfer value and his impact on the pitch soon not to be what it was when he was at his peak.

Another key element is that wages are far lower for a player when he is 22 than by the time he is 27, unless he has proved to be rubbish!

The Newcastle United transfer policy has allowed the club to now have players of the quality of Livramento, Isak, Gordon, Botman, Hall and Tonali as we approach the 2025/26 season. United couldn’t have afforded this level of quality if buying equivalent but older proven talent.

This Newcastle United transfer policy does of course rely on buying the right kind of young players. All you can say on that front is that Eddie Howe has a faultless record so far.

Howe has proved relentless with many of his transfer targets, having to wait for Botman in the summer 2022 transfer window after the player wouldn’t leave Lille in January 2022 as they were still in the Champions League. Livramento was another signing where it took a long time but eventually Eddie Howe was successful and the player wanted to come. Many people ridiculed Eddie Howe and Newcastle United for paying £32m plus add-ons for Tino Livramento who had hardly played any football for a year due to a bad injury, also the £28m for Lewis Hall brought very negative reaction. Amongst those claimed to find these transfer fees way over the top was allegedly Paul Mitchell, recently departed from St James’ Park.

The fact is though, Eddie Howe has been proved right and done so well with his signings, who have perfectly complemented those already at SJP.

As I said earlier, there is obviously a far smaller pool of signings to go for if you are restricted by age and looking for almost certainly those aged 23 or younger, maybe the odd one a year or so older.

So that combined with Eddie Howe’s insistence on certain players looking perfect for what he wants, can lead to lengthy waits to land the likes of Trafford and Elanga, others as well.

The Newcastle United transfer policy has proved itself fit for purpose every transfer window when United have previously had decent levels of spending available.

I think that in summer 2025 that NUFC transfer policy will prove it is still fit for purpose.

I trust Eddie Howe with whichever targets he has identified and I believe by the time this window has ended, the Newcastle United team and squad will be in a far better place, both for the short-term AND longer-term.