Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell (left) and head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell (left) and head coach Eddie Howe
Two games remain for Newcastle United before full focus turns to the summer and what the club's hierarchy can achieve during the off-season. Eddie Howe has made no secret of his desire to see his squad strengthened and it looks like the Toon boss will see his wish granted in the coming months.
Finishing second - after winning a trophy - would be a monumental achievement for a club that has endured almost two years of PSR-induced pain in the transfer market. Business logic has trumped football logic, in the words of Howe himself, with squad players sold without being replaced and limited money.
So, what could this summer look like? Chronicle Live assesses Newcastle's transfer strategy as it stands.
The finances
Listening to Howe this week, it is hard not to get excited by the boss' outlook the summer window to come.
“Regular success, consistent success, all these things help you in the journey that you’re on to show to everybody that that’s where the club’s ambition is,” Howe said when quizzed over United's ambitions at Friday morning's press conference.
“There’s no doubt that’s what the club’s ambition is. But of course, as we’ve said many times, the ability financially to compete the last few years has been hampered by PSR, but those issues aren’t there for the coming window. So I don’t see any reason why we can’t strengthen, not weaken ourselves.”
The club's issues indeed look to have subsided somewhat after Newcastle dodged a PSR penalty for the last set of accounts submitted to the league. Despite making a post-tax loss of £11.1m for the 2023/24 financial period, that actually represents an improvement compared the £70m+ losses of the two years prior.
This was, in part, due to a turnover increase of £70m [£250.3m to £320.3m] year on year, brought about by additional sponsorships being brought on board, more corporate matchday offerings found inside St James' Park and merchandise sales increasing. Player sales have also helped steady the ship but hopefully, as Howe says, there will be no repeat of that this time around.
The approach
The Newcastle hierarchy are known to forward plan their transfer window objectives and have had the added boost of being able to enter pre-window discussions armed with the knowledge they can offer any potential incoming players the guarantee of European football - in some form - next season.
Paul Mitchell took his spot on one of two parade buses around the city centre after the Carabao Cup final but, just like Howe, will have been back to the task at hand since then. The sporting director admitted it was tricky for him to start his role at the club midway through a transfer window last year, while there will be frustration - on a personal level - that he has still not overseen a game-changing signing due to those aforementioned PSR constraints.
In terms of approach, Newcastle will certainly look for players who can instantly improve this starting XI. Not since 2023 has a signing of that nature been made and there is a feeling, despite Newcastle's success this term, an injection or two of real quality could take this team to the next level.
The scouting team at St James' Park have also used recent months to venture further afield in the search of hidden gems, with South America scouted heavily to unearth superstars in the making. Looking to the future has been a feature of Newcastle post-takeover - and that will continue.
Vakhtang Salia will arrive at the club, officially, in August when he turns 18 and Newcastle look to have won the race for Malaga sensation Antonio Cordero, who is the same age. Expect more low key signings of that nature to be targeted this summer.
The targets
The consensus is that, in an ideal world, multiple positions would be strengthened this summer. These include at right-wing, centre-back, goalkeeper and potentially up front as competition and support for Alexander Isak.
Remarkably, the Magpies have not strengthened the right of Howe's attack since he took over in 2021. Jacob Murphy is currently the only out and out right-winger in the senior side, with William Osula, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon all naturally preferring to play elsewhere across the frontline.
As such, it is no surprise to Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo pursued as a serious target this summer. The attacker's west London exit looks nailed on, with only a few teams credited with interest in his £60m services.
Anthony Elanga, Jarrod Bowen and Antoine Semenyo are other names who have came in conversations when discussing the hierarchy's transfer plans of late.
This week brought reports, via the Daily Mail, that Newcastle were keen on Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, while James Trafford has been pursued for over a year. Burnley's recent promotion back to the Premier League will likely inflate the stopper's price tag after his stunning season between the sticks.
Newcastle are one of many teams interested in Jonathan David, who is leaving Lille on a free next month. The north east outfit have also been tentatively linked with other strikers on the continent, including Tolu Arokodare, Dusan Vlahovic and Liam Delap.