While Tom Cairney ultimately stayed at Fulham, Newcastle United’s desperation to sign him shows just how much they needed a player of his ilk.
The transfer window has closed and yet gaping holes remain in the Newcastle United squad, pushing Rafa Benitez closer to the exit door – according to the Daily Mail.
There is no fit senior left-back at St James’ Park – a move for Matt Target failed, per the same Daily Mail report – and no new goalkeeper arrived, despite Rob Elliot’s poor start to the season.
And yet Newcastle’s biggest regret could well be the failure to bring in Fulham’s Tom Cairney.
Cairney was one of the standout players in the Championship last season, twice excelling against Newcastle, and – according to the Telegraph – Benitez chased the Scotland international both in January and at the start of the summer.
The 26-year-old looked like the perfect signing for the Magpies, adding the creativity at the top of midfield that had been lacking despite a successful title charge.
Unfortunately for Newcastle, Cairney instead opted to stay in the Championship and signed a new contract at Fulham.
According to The Guardian (18:17 in their deadline day blog), that did not stop Newcastle going back for Cairney in the final throes of the window in a potential swap for Dwight Gayle.
It is no surprise that the move did not come off, but it says a lot for how desperately Benitez needed a player of his calibre.
Without the arrival of a top class playmaker, there is a lot of pressure on Ayoze Perez to deliver now this season…
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