Newcastle United’s sudden transformation from relegation dodgers to Champions League chasers might have coincided with that Saudi Arabian takeover, but their remarkable success under Eddie Howe is not so much the result of heavy spending, and more the by-product of intelligent, considered recruitment and excellent man-management.
OK, Newcastle may be the so-called ‘richest football club on planet earth’. But no fewer than seven Premier League sides splashed out more than their £120 million investment last summer. What’s more, Newcastle have had to make do without the man who accounted for 50 per cent of that summer spend; £60 million record-signing Alexander Isak restricted to just three outings through injury.
Nick Pope, Matt Targett and Kieran Trippier cost less than £40 million combined. Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman, meanwhile, came far cheaper than the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Wesley Fofana.
Most of Newcastle’s signings, since Mike Ashley was chased out of town, would not have been seen as ‘inaccessible’ to most other top-flight clubs. The summer spends of Wolves, Nottingham Forest and West Ham all dwarfed that of the Magpies in 2022.
The main difference, of course, is that Newcastle have spent better than most. Pope, Trippier, Targett and Botman are all part of the Premier League’s joint-best backline, while, if Newcastle were to sell Guimaraes in the New Year, they could probably command a fee almost three times larger than the £40 million investment they made ten months ago.
Newcastle United’s best signing yet?
Newcastle’s most inspired addition so far, however, could may be still to come. According to The Sun, Newcastle are looking into the prospect of bringing Borussia Monchengladbach’s silky France international Marcus Thuram to Tyneside when his contract at the Bundesliga outfit expires next summer.
At 25 years old, and with 13 goals in 17 games for an inconsistent ‘Gladbach side, Thuram is at a similar stage of his career to that of Guimaraes at Lyon, or Isak at Real Sociedad. A highly-talented, up-and-coming footballer brimming with potential. One deserving of a bigger stage on which to showcase his potentially elite-level talents.
“Thuram is a world-class striker,” Wolfsburg’s sporting director Marcel Schafer said recently; Thuram channelling his inner-Thierry Henry once again with a stunning solo effort during a 2-2 draw at the Volkswagen Arena.
“You have to say it like that. He has a world-class stature.”
Guimaraes’ impact will take some beating at St James’ Park. But a ‘world-class striker’ arriving on a free transfer? Newcastle continue to prove that, for all the money in the world, nothing beats a bargain.
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