Newcastle United are finally making moves after a tricky few transfer windows
What's that famous saying? You wait ages for a bus and then two come along at the exact same time.
That feels pretty on the nose for Newcastle United at present as the Magpies push forward with not one but two exciting deals, with confidence growing over moves for both Anthony Elanga and James Trafford.
Newcastle have submitted an offer worth £55m for the former after seeing earlier bids - both last summer and this summer - rejected by Nottingham Forest. The winger, 23, is also yet to agree personal terms but all indications suggest an agreement can be struck.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have pursued Trafford for just as long after making their first play for the goalkeeper in the summer of 2024. This time around Burnley are open to a sale and have already signed a replacement in the form of £4.3m stopper Max Weiss.
A fee, as of Friday morning, had not been agreed but talks have continued in recent days. Trafford kept the most clean sheets (29) in the Championship last season.
A double swoop for two young, talent options will go a long way to calming recent nerves on Tyneside. It would also represent Newcastle ending a more than two-year wait for a signing who will instantly command a starting spot.
In recent windows, Eddie Howe's squad has been strengthened with moves for William Osula, Odysseas Vlachodimos and Lloyd Kelly, who all played bit part roles last term. Before that came the likes of Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall - both now first-team regulars - but who were signed with the future in mind as Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn held down their spots on either side of Howe's defence.
You have to go back 732 days to Newcastle making a signing where fans instantly believed the incoming player would be a nailed on starter. That, of course, was Sandro Tonali joining from AC Milan.
Howe obviously had other thoughts in mind and took his time to bed the Italian in before his lengthy suspension from football due to gambling offences in Italy. The rest is history, with United reaping the records of Tonali's up and down journey thus far.
Jacob Murphy and Nick Pope will have something to say about Elanga and Trafford landing immediate starting spots should they arrive, with additional competition exactly what Howe wants as United once again fight on four fronts. The Newcastle boss has worked miracles with a threadbare squad of late, rarely complaining at the hand he has been dealt, while still making it clear, at times, that he has craved additional bodies in and around his St James' Park dressing room.
“I think freshness is important in a squad – I won’t sit here and deny that,” Howe said towards the back end of 2024. “There needs to be a certain element of trading in and out to keep the group dynamic new.
“A new dynamic and a new team always has to form every season. Sometimes, the same squad can produce a staleness and a negative product. So I think we’re aware of that. But it’s about what we’re able to do rather than ‘I want’. ‘I want’ is clear. We haven’t had a huge turnover of players and that’s a slight concern.”
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube