Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that ‘at some point’, he expects Newcastle United to sign ‘one of the biggest names in football’.
So far this summer, Eddie Howe has welcomed Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Nick Pope to St James’ Park as he looks to turn Newcastle into a top-half side. And with a matter of weeks until the summer transfer window slams shut, only time will tell whether the Magpies welcome more names.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones outlined what he believes is the current transfer plan at Newcastle, saying: “At some point, they’re going to land one of the biggest names in football, but I think it’s too early for that to happen.
“I think that Newcastle have taken a very careful path about building this team step-by-step. We’ve already seen the first couple of steps from that. The January transfer window was a massive success.
“They’re delighted with the fact they’ve signed Sven Botman. They already feel like they’re in a better situation than they were at the back-end of last season.”
TIF Thoughts on Jones’ comments…
Jones highlights Newcastle are taking a ‘very careful path’ when it comes to building their squad for both the present and the future, and we agree with this. So far, we’ve only seen glimpses of their spending power, with January a real statement month at the Tyneside club as they welcomed five new players and spent £90.99 million.
The new arrivals had an instant impact as Newcastle went from battling relegation to finishing just outside the top half of the Premier League come May. And with Botman and Pope now added, alongside Targett making a permanent move, Howe will hope to see his side pick up from where they left off last season.
It remains to be seen if he can boost them further by welcoming a big name to the squad this summer, but we do feel, as Jones suggests, like they are some time away from welcoming the kind of superstars Manchester City possess, for example.
So far in the current campaign, Newcastle have beaten Nottingham Forest and drawn against Brighton & Hove Albion in what has been a solid start. Next up, however, is their toughest test yet as the champions pay them a visit, so we may see what the current crop are really made of.