Things were never going to change overnight for Newcastle United.
The endless billions at Mohammed bin Salman’s disposal can’t transform Emil Krafth into a Premier League right-back, Joelinton into a prolific goalscorer or Miguel Almiron into Tyneside’s answer to Kevin De Bruyne.
Three games into the new era, Newcastle have picked up just one point from a possible nine – and they were a tad lucky to get that too, Callum Wilson’s acrobatics rescuing a draw at Crystal Palace.
Clearly it will take time before Newcastle stop rubbing shoulders with the Burnleys and start partying with the Bayerns.
And if supporters were hoping a big-name, marquee signing or two would be enough to save their skins – a Philippe Coutinho, Paulo Dybala or Nabil Fekir for instance – it appears yet more frustration could be on the way.
Because, while Amanda Staveley and co have little interest in meandering around mid-table – let alone a relegation battle – Newcastle’s new transfer strategy looks set to be pretty much the same as the old one for now, revolving around affordable youngsters.
Karim Adeyemi could be the first big signing for new-look Newcastle
According to The Express, the newly moneyed Magpies plan to take a leaf out of RB Leipzig’s book, prioritising hungry, up-and-coming talent.
And just because Newcastle can buy the Coutinhos of the world doesn’t mean they should.
Football is a business these days, after all, with profits to be made.
And, with Financial Fair Play restrictions limiting the club’s ability to throw money at a problem, Newcastle appear to be going for the self-sustainable, self-sufficient approach rather than becoming England’s answer to a noughties, Galactico-collecting vanity project (Sport1).
In many ways, Karim Adeyemi is a perfect poster boy for this new-look Newcastle – and not just because he’s made his name at Leipzig’s Red Bull-sipping sister club Salzburg.
He’s not only young and promising at just 19 years of age, he’s also highly talented and already well renowned in scouting circles.
The £17 million-rated Adeyemi has scored 14 goals in 20 club games this season, shone in the Champions League and recently became the youngest player since Mario Gotze in 2011 to hit the net for the German national team.
Beating the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona to his sought-after signature would be some statement. Not quite a marquee signing but one that would fit their model to a tee.
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