Newcastle United look set to change their transfer stance heading into the summer transfer market
Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson (L) is set for his first big summer transfer window
Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson (L) is set for his first big summer transfer window
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Newcastle United made light work of Qarabag to make it through to the last 16 of the Champions League and earn a welcome boost amid their ongoing battle with profit and sustainability regulations (PSR). There's plenty of football to be played before the transfer window reopens, but the Magpies should have ample funds to bolster Eddie Howe's squad.
The most recent summer transfer window saw the club's recruitment come under fire, having struggled for consistency, and brought in the likes of Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade and Jacob Ramsey for large transfer fees. All three have struggled in patches, whether through injury or form, but have also shown signs of their quality.
It's perhaps a reflection of Newcastle's campaign on the whole, on the back of a disruptive summer transfer window that saw star man Alexander Isak depart. It's no secret the Toon wanted to keep the Swedish international at the club and help take them to the next level, but as we know, that didn't happen, and the club have moved on.
There's been a lot of change behind the scenes since then, with Ross Wilson appointed as the club's latest sporting director and David Hopkinson as the new CEO. The latter of the pair outlined the club's bold vision to become Premier League champions by 2030, hitting back at transfer critics.
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In an interview with talkSPORT2 in February, he said: "This is not a 10-year project, the club and owners want to win the league by 2030. Let me tell you, this was an extraordinary transfer window in terms of activity. We have an amazing sporting director in Ross Wilson. He’s been my first call in the morning and last call at night every day this month.
"The activity has been incredibly high. We didn’t find the right opportunity for an acquisition, but we had the room to do so. The No 1 thing I talk to the ownership about is ambition. That’s the magic word here.
"We have total alignment on that. This is a club that, by 2030, will be consistently contending for the top prizes in global football. We have a lot of wood to chop between here and there. When I see Newcastle United, everywhere I look, I see opportunity."
Ross Wilson and David Hopkinson
Ross Wilson and David Hopkinson
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Newcastle's recent form in the Premier League - losing four of their last five games - and 11th-placed standing suggests there's an awful lot of work to do until they're in that bracket of title challengers.
But work behind the scenes is already offering an insight into a new approach the club could take. According to reports in Brazil, Magpies scouts were in attendance at the Brazilian Youth Cup and were left impressed by their latest trip to South America.
United have scouted the continent on several occasions, but have not yet dipped their toe into the transfer market for upcoming talents. They already have an impressive contingent of Brazilian stars with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton key members of Howe's squad, but finding the next big thing will give them a huge step up in the future.
It's fair to say the club are stuck in between wanting to be a juggernaut in the division, and their actual ability to get deals over the line and be said club. Their scouting forays into Brazil are said to be part of a change in tact orchestrated by Wilson, who signed nine stars from Brazil during his time at Nottingham Forest.
The club are reportedly changing their stance from using Brazil as 'an occasional opportunity' and want to become a leader in the market. It's an area their Premier League rivals have excelled in, with the likes of Willian Estevao, Joao Pedro and Gabriel Martinelli plucked from the Brazilian leagues before becoming top-flight stars.
By signing players earlier on in their development, the club should in theory steal a march on their rivals, whereas previous windows have seen them competing with the likes of Chelsea for Pedro much later in the player's development.
Simply put, the club haven't signed enough young talents who are capable and ready to play a part as a squad player, with the view to developing them into first-team regulars. This is the first real sign we've seen from them in addressing that.
It won't be the main focus of the club's summer plans, but it's an exciting development to keep an eye on.
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