Newcastle fell to another disappointing 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth at St James' Park
Bournemouth's Rayan crosses the ball for the opening goal against Newcastle United
Bournemouth's Rayan crosses the ball for the opening goal against Newcastle(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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It would be labouring the point to remind Newcastle fans of just how costly their poor summer transfer business has been.
But it was put firmly into the spotlight by a Bournemouth side whose squad could have been left decimated by the players who have left them in the last 12 months but who look as strong as ever.
While Newcastle's first batch of signings were excellent post-takeover, this summer represented the first summer they had to sign players to replace players who had left. They failed miserably.
£124million was spent on two forwards to replace Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson and neither Nick Woltemade or Yoane Wissa can command a place in the starting XI.
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By contrast, Bournemouth lost three of their back four in the summer in Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez, and lost Antoine Semenyo in January but there has been next to zero negative impact on the side.
Semenyo was replaced by Brazilian teenager Rayan in January for £24.7million, over £30million less than Newcastle paid for Anthony Elanga in the summer.
While Elanga was hooked in the 63rd minute after struggling badly and facing the crowd's ire for giving the ball away cheaply on several occasions, Rayan was one of Bournemouth's best players.
He was so effective on the right-hand side that Lewis Hall, who has earned plaudits for his performances against the likes of Lamine Yamal and other top wingers this season, was replaced at half-time for what Eddie Howe confirmed as 'tactical reasons' in his post-match press conference.
Newcastle's Anthony Elanga in action against Bournemouth
Anthony Elanga in action against Bournemouth(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
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It was the 19-year-old who created the Cherries' first goal, driving in to the box and rolling the ball into the path of Marcus Tavernier to to bundle home from close range.
Newcastle carried out initial scouting checks on Rayan while he played for Vasco Da Gama but did not follow up on the interest. But it was perhaps the clearest indication yet of why the Magpies' transfer policy needs to shift in the summer.
Elanga has been a costly mistake. So, too, has Yoane Wissa. Two Premier League ready players Newcastle paid over the odds for. Sporting director Ross Wilson hinted back in December that the Magpies will look to extract greater value from the foreign market.
The fact there was such an obvious gulf in class between the two sides' right-wingers backed up his stance.