Newcastle United invested heavily in their squad in January, but a raft of recruitments does not always equate to big-time success.
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“Newcastle United spent 93 million pounds in the January transfer market” is not a sentence most of their fans would have expected to be written about their club. And yet it is true in 2022.
The Tyneside club, flush with cash after a takeover by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium, showed they mean business. January is, after all, known to be a tough time to make big signings.
Often players heading out in the middle of the season are ones not wanted by their clubs. Saleable assets are often sold by small or mid-level clubs, but those deals take place in the summer.
As such, it is quite the achievement that Newcastle managed to sign five new players in the winter transfer window.
Some would argue it is par for course; after all, few clubs in the world can match their resources now. However, having money and spending it wisely are two very different things in football.
And a cursory glance over their new signings show that it could well be money well spent. Kieran Trippier, the first of those signings, is an England international and a La Liga winner.
Chris Wood, signed from Burnley due to a release clause in his contract, provides a valuable focal point up front. Whether as a starting option or from the bench, his goals will be.
Bruno Guimaraes is arguably the most star-studded of these signings, simply because of his potential. The Brazilian defensive midfielder is nicknamed the “Piano Carrier” due to his ability to recycle possession. And he is a player who could easily thrive in England.
Dan Burn and Matt Targett might not represent the shiniest of new toys, but they are good options with Premier League pedigree.
The onus now is on manager Eddie Howe to work with what he’s got.
Of course, Howe’s task in hand is easier said than done. For now, the club are very much embroiled in a relegation battle. This means that, of course, the focus for this season is simply survival.
Newcastle fans have long complained – with some merit – of a dull style of football. Howe is, in many ways, a man who can and is trying to change that now.
But building a new playing philosophy – especially at a club where results are needed right now – is quite the challenge.
It doesn’t help, of course, that the core of Newcastle’s squad is seemingly hard-wired to play counter-attacking football.
In an ideal world, Howe would simply do what is necessary to avoid relegation and start again next season.
The issue with that, of course, is that the team need to be playing better football as well to attract top stars. Hence the reason why there is likely to be a focus on both the short and long-term.
The good thing is that Howe has a better base to build on now. In Guimaraes, the club finally have a player who can shield the defence. That – and not just poor personnel – has played a key part in their defensive struggles.
With that now sorted, the focus will no doubt be on first getting enough done to secure survival. But Howe isn’t a relegation fire-fighter as such; he will also be keeping an eye on developing the team’s style of play.
There’s also the fact that the summer could well bring in more departures – and thus more incomings. With that in mind, laying the foundations for a set playing style now makes sense.
It is a tough balancing act. But it’s one Howe will need to pull off to ensure he remains in a job next season.
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