Newcastle United are one of the richest clubs in world football since the PIF takeover – but they’ve still missed out on several of their top transfer targets.
With the club having to abide by strict financial rules, Eddie Howe’s side haven’t been able to splash the cash like they perhaps would’ve wanted.
Since the takeover in 2021, here are eight high-profile players that Newcastle have missed out on.
Joao Pedro
The Magpies have tried to sign Pedro twice, but have come up short on each occasion.
Newcastle were in advanced talks with Watford to sign him for £30million back in 2022, but the move ultimately fell through and he joined Brighton a year later instead.
Fast forward to 2025 and Howe’s side have tried to sign the Brazilian again, only to be trumped by Chelsea this time.
Newcastle saw their bid of £50million rejected by Brighton and the player now looks set to join Chelsea in a deal worth £55million.
Marc Guehi
Newcastle had a club-record £65million bid rejected for Crystal Palace defender Guehi in 2024.
At the time, Palace valued the England international at around £70million and Newcastle ultimately decided to pull out of the deal.
The 24-year-old is once again being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, although it remains to be seen if Newcastle will go in with another offer.
Bryan Mbeumo
On the back of a prolific campaign in 2024-25, it’s no wonder that Newcastle reportedly shortlisted Mbeumo as a top target this summer.
The Brentford forward scored 20 league goals last season and would’ve been an excellent addition to Newcastle’s forward line.
However, as Mbeumo seemingly only has his eyes on Manchester United, Newcastle have since decided to pursue alternative targets.
Matheus Cunha
Newcastle were alerted about Cunha’s availability earlier this year and were interested in signing him, prior to his switch to Old Trafford.
Several reports from April claimed that Cunha was a ‘top target’ for the Magpies, but they’ve quickly moved on to other targets following his decision to join Manchester United.
Anthony Elanga
Back in 2024, Newcastle tried their luck to sign Elanga, but their bid was ultimately rebuffed by Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies have since reignited their interest in the Swedish international, but as of writing, they’ve not managed to have a breakthrough with Forest.
Howe’s side recently saw their latest £45million bid for Elanga being rejected and it remains to be seen if they’ll up their offer.
Liam Delap
Given his £30million release clause, Delap was always likely to move early in the window following Ipswich Town’s relegation.
Newcastle were among the clubs that held talks with the 22-year-old, but he ultimately rebuffed their interest in favour of joining Chelsea instead.
Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. 23rd Feb, 2025. NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring a goal during the Premier League 2024/25 Matchweek 26 match between Newcastle United FC and Nottingham Forest FC at St. James' Park on February 23, 2025 in Newcastle, England.
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Giorgio Scalvini
The Atalanta defender has been a target for Newcastle for over two years, but the Magpies have never been able to strike a deal.
For the most part, Newcastle have deemed Atalanta’s asking price as too high, although they’ve also had some reservations over his injury record.
The 21-year-old missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury, although Newcastle haven’t ended their pursuit of the Italian defender just yet.
As reported by our friends at TeamTalk, Newcastle remain interested in a deal for Scalvini, although they face competition from the likes of AC Milan and Juventus.
Dean Henderson
Prior to his move to Crystal Palace, Henderson was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle.
The England international was playing second fiddle to David de Gea at Manchester United at the time and was desperate for some first-team action.
While Newcastle did agree on personal terms with the goalkeeper in 2022, the move never materialised as the Magpies couldn’t agree on a deal with United.
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