Newcastle United are still struggling to bring in elite level players ahead of the 2025/25 campaign
Former Aston Villa striker and talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor
Former Aston Villa striker and talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor
(Image: talkSPORT)
Let's cut to the chase - this summer transfer window has been pretty disastrous so far for Newcastle United. From the highs of winning the Carabao Cup and qualifying for the Champions League, to their star man, Alexander Isak, wanting to explore his options this summer and the struggles to sign elite level players.
Very few, if any would have predicted Eddie Howe's side to be in this current predicament and yet here we are. The Magpies have been able to sign just two players to bolster their first team ranks, Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale, missing out on the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro, James Trafford and more recently, Benjamin Sesko.
Newcastle's inability to sign those elite level players has become one of the talking points of the window, both among black and white supporters and the rest of world football. The phrase PSR is often chucked about as an excuse as to why Newcastle fans are so irrate, which in part, is true, but to suggest it's the sole reason is wide of the mark.
TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes Newcastle have just found themselves behind bigger clubs in the pecking order this summer, stating PSR is not an excuse.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Ade Olapido said: "We understand why it's there but we don't like it. It's stopping Aston Villa, your team, from taking that next jump. It's clearly putting a stop to Newcastle and what they want to do, but lets not blame PSR and the reason that Mbeumo has chose to go to Manchester United instead of going to Newcastle.
"The reason Sesko has gone to United instead of Newcastle. Guehi hasn't gone to the club yet, Cunha went to Man United instead of Newcastle, Joao Pedro to Chelsea. That's not a PSR thing. They've acticely wanted these players and made bids for a few of these players. That's the players picking teams over them. That's not PSR."
"Of course," Agbonlahor said. "They're two totally different things. The reason why these players are turning down Newcastle is because there's bigger clubs they can join. It's just how it is."
"It's a pecking order," Olapido interjected.
"Of course it is," Agbonlahor replied. "Look at Liverpool, they lost Trent to Real Madrid because he wanted to go to a bigger club. There's a pecking roder and any Premier League club, you could have Manchester City and Haaland. If Real Madrid want Haaland he goes."
Last time I checked, Newcastle supporters weren't solely blaming PSR for their inability to get signings over the line this summer - but to suggest it has nothing to do with it, is still wide of the mark.
Newcastle aren't competing with Real Madrid. They're competing with - statistically - the worst Man United team in Premier League history. They're still a giant off the pitch, but on the pitch have been terrible.
Lets look at the facts. Newcastle United are the richest club in world football and yet can't spend anywhere near the money that their Saudi Pro League relatives can - who are also owned by PIF.
It's also factual to state that Man United have won more trophies than the Magpies, but it's Newcastle who have been on an upward trajectory in recent years. We may have black and white glasses on, but it seems pretty obvious to suggest the Toon are a better prospect at the minute, or at least they were before Isak's bombshell dropped earlier this summer.
The Magpies hierarchy have questions to answer and supporters are asking them. Why haven't they got a new CEO line up and why isn't there a new sporting director in the building? The most important of all, why can't they get transfer deals done?
In an ideal world, the Magpies would be able to blow their Premier League rivals out of the water with lucrative wages and inflated transfer fees would not be an obstacle. There may be talk that Sesko has turned down a more lucrative wage packet at St. James' Park this summer, but you need take just one look at the players who have joined the Saudi Pro League in recent years to see the quality of players willing to move for money.
The morality of that is an argument for another day, but Newcastle find themselves stuck, just like Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest etc, in bridging the gap to the top-six. Both Newcastle and Villa have finished above Manchester United in recent seasons and in the Champions League, and yet, when Newcastle had to sell the likes of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson, while also floating potential sales of Anthony Gordon and Isak last summer, Man United are yet to sanction any big name departures.
The Toon also haven't signed any first-team players in that time. Need I continue?
It was only last season Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the Old Trafford outfit would go out of business this summer had they not made redundancies. Fast forward 10 months and the signing of Sesko would take their spending up to £200million, maybe it was a brilliant bluff from the Reds' minority owner.
How is it, that top-six clubs are still able to maintain their place in the country's elite while others should be content with one or two seasons challenging at the top before dropping back to their so-called 'rightful place.' If you can't change your place in the pecking roder over time, then the system is broken.
The whole premise of modern football is that it's competitive and underdogs can upset the apple cart. Why should elite clubs stay at the top, just because they have for years? Mismanagement should come with consequences - and that applies to the likes of Newcastle too if they can't get their house in order.
The Magpies chiefs know they'll have competition from elite clubs to sign elite players, but given where they've started from, they can't shatter a wage structure or transfer fees that would see them break PSR. Sure, it's the harsh reality of said rules, but it only highlights the need for change.
Newcastle supporters are not mad that Man United are a historically 'bigger club' they're angry that they can't challenge the Reds current incarnation, given they've been more successful on the pitch.