Newcastle United’s ambitions of becoming a regular European outfit under the current ownership group have been successful, with the club often featuring in the Champions League.
The Magpies have spent two of the last four years in such a competition, often battling and making themselves known to some of the world’s biggest outfits.
The recent 8-3 aggregate defeat to Barcelona will no doubt have been a bitter blow to Eddie Howe and Co, but it’s a signal of how far the club have come in recent seasons.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Such progression has no doubt come as a result of the heavy spending from the hierarchy in recent seasons, with the club spending around £500m on new additions in the last four years alone.
However, their ambitions have come with a cost, often having to offload numerous young talents to Premier League rivals to help balance the books and satisfy the division’s PSR rules.
The mistake Newcastle made in selling Elliot Anderson
The summer of 2024 was a pivotal window for Newcastle in terms of PSR, as they offloaded Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, respectively.
The latter of the duo has since taken his career to unthinkable heights, after departing his boyhood club in a deal worth £35m, with Odysseas Vlachodimos moving the other way.
Elliot Anderson for Nottingham Forest
Nearly two years on from his switch to the City Ground, the 23-year-old has now racked up 82 senior appearances for the Reds - subsequently becoming one of the division’s biggest talents.
He’s even become a regular in the England setup under Thomas Tuchel, joining the likes of Anthony Gordon, Dan Burn and Tino Livramento in the national side.
Anderson’s impressive form in the East Midlands has seen Forest place a £100m price tag on his head, with Manchester City and Manchester United both keen on his signature.
It’s certainly a sad sight to see for the Magpies faithful given he’s one of their own, with their lucrative spending undoubtedly coming back to bite them on this occasion.
The former Newcastle star who’s now a bigger mistake than Anderson
The heavy spending in the last few years has restricted Newcastle in one sense, but it’s also a welcome sight for supporters, given the lack of spending under Mike Ashley.
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The former owner was constantly under scrutiny for his inability to improve the squad, which saw the club drop into the second tier on two separate occasions under his guidance.
His departure a handful of years ago was certainly a popular one, which has allowed the club to finally fight amongst the division’s biggest and most wealthy clubs on a consistent basis.
However, some of Ashley’s decisions are still coming back to bite the club in the present day, with some of his dealings in the transfer market certainly up for debate.
During the summer of 2018, the former owner offloaded central midfielder Mikel Merino for a fee in the region of £10m after spending just one year at St James’ Park.
Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - October 21, 2017 Newcastle United's Mikel Merino celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your accoun
Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - October 21, 2017 Newcastle United's Mikel Merino celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your accoun
The Spanish international only managed to rack up 25 appearances for the Magpies, before being offloaded to return to his homeland and join Real Sociedad.
His spell on Tyneside was certainly one that failed to live up to expectations, but his progression away from the club has certainly made it a decision that has come back to bite them.
The 29-year-old currently plies his trade for fellow English outfit Arsenal, subsequently cementing himself as one of the Gunners’ key performers in recent years.
He’s already made 77 appearances in his two years at the Emirates, even operating as a makeshift centre-forward at times since his transfer in the summer of 2024.
Mikel-Merino-Arsenal
Merino has netted 15 goals for the club since his subsequent transfer, with his efforts in the final third something which could have been of use to Howe in the present day.
His dominant ability without the ball has also made him an excellent talent, subsequently winning 7.1 ground duels per 90 this season - ranking him in the top 10% of all players in the division.
Mikel Merino - PL stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Pass accuracy
Ground duels won
Aerials won
Tackles made
Ball recoveries
Shots taken
He’s also won 2.5 aerial battles and made 2.3 tackles per 90 in the Premier League, with such numbers demonstrating his all-round quality at both ends of the pitch.
Merino’s quality has made him an established top-level midfielder, with the Spaniard undoubtedly walking into the Magpies’ current midfield on Tyneside.
Merino-Arsenal
He and Anderson are just two examples of players who have slipped through their grasp, with both undoubtedly improving the options currently at Howe’s disposal.
However, they will now remain as a what-could-have-been story for the fans, with the faithful having to sit back and watch the aforementioned duo thriving away from the club.
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