OPINION
Newcastle United are going to have to smash their transfer record this summer if they are going to keep up with the other sides in the league next season – and relegation could be looming large if not.
Any hope that Newcastle had of getting their hands on a return for Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend this summer seem to be all but over following a report in The Times which stated that the Eagles had slapped a £30million price-tag on the player’s head.
However, the Magpie must face the truth – that is the going rate for a proven Premier League performer.
The north east side, and more importantly club owner Mike Ashley, are not renowned for making wild splurges in the transfer market – far more likely are they to opt for a bargain over a player who is already a big name in the game.
As it stands the club’s record spend in the transfer window is still the £16million they splashed out on Michael Owen back in 2005.
Football has moved on drastically since the days when £16m would have been considered a handsome fee – that is the kind of money that Premier League clubs are spending up and down the division on even the most average of players.
A mixture of luck and quality loan signings in the winter transfer window were the reason Rafael Benitez’s side avoided relegation last season, but unless they go all out this summer and turn Owen’s transfer fee to dust, there must be fears that the Championship will be their destination, with many of their current stars having been in the second tier two years ago.
They just need to look at the competition they are facing from the newly promoted sides – Wolves already spending large and Fulham seemingly willing to splash the cash – to realise their situation is a dire one, and without financial backing, their future is bleak.