Newcastle wanted to snap up winger Gelson Martins in January.
Newcastle United ended the January transfer window with a flourish, signing two new faces to bolster Rafael Benitez’s squad at St James’ Park.
The Magpies not only brought in left back Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco, but also snapped up Atlanta United playmaker Miguel Almiron for a club-record fee.
Benitez will be happy with the late business, but missing out on a winger will have been a disappointment, specifically Gelson Martins.
As reported by Sky Sports, Newcastle wanted to take winger Martins on loan from Atletico Madrid, but he chose to join Monaco on loan instead.
A move for the Portuguese speedster had Newcastle fans excited, and his snub was seen as a major miss given his quality for Portugal and previously Sporting.
So far, Martins has shown exactly why Benitez wanted him on Tyneside, as he has made a blistering start to his Monaco career with three assists in just two games.
After a slow start to his Atletico career, Martins will be hoping to keep up this early form with Monaco, which will leave Newcastle cursing their luck.
Adding Martins and Almiron would have made Newcastle extremely exciting to watch going forward, but Benitez and co now have to watch on as Martins makes a dream start with the Ligue 1 side.
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