What next for NUFC? – Three signings now the focus after PSR deadline passes

Now we’ve passed the PSR deadline and left June behind, it promises to be a busy July and August for Newcastle, who will have much more room for manoeuvre as we switch the focus from outgoings to incomings.

Today marks a new financial year, which sees doors re-open from a monetary perspective and new commercial deals kick in, with the Champions League cash earned from our fourth-placed finish in 2022/23 also boosting our balance sheets. 

After a chaotic weekend of outgoings, which areas will we target and who could now sign after Sunday’s PSR deadline saw us raise £68m from Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson?

Before we get to the three key positions – CB, RW, ST – it’s worth noting that we’ve signed TWO goalkeepers today. Greek international Odysseas Vlachodimos has arrived from Nottingham Forest and could replace Martin Dubravka as back-up to Nick Pope if we don’t revisit deals for James Trafford or Giorgi Mamardashvili. John Ruddy has also signed on a free, with the 37-year-old set to replace Loris Karius as our third-choice option. He’ll rarely play but arrives to add experience in training and depth to Howe’s squad, becoming Newcastle’s version of Scott Carson at Man City, I suspect.

Now for the big moves, we start at right-sided centre-back; a position that’s yet to be filled after free agent Tosin Adarabioyo snubbed St James’ Park for St James’ Park last month. There’s a feeling we’ll now fast-track plans to sign a quality young option who can push Fabian Schar before becoming Sven Botman’s long-term partner, although that has probably impacted the spread of our budget and may explain why we’ve gone down the cut-price goalkeeper route.

Newcastle have reignited their interest in Malick Thiaw; the 22-year-old German who AC Milan might just sell for £30-35m after quoting Toon chiefs considerably more last summer. Other names continually linked include Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande, while a player-plus-cash bid was made for Wolves’ Max Kilman the weekend before last.

Up next comes the big one – a new right winger. We need an upgrade on Miguel Almiron – who is in talks to join an unnamed Saudi club – and are under pressure to get this signing right after reluctantly cashing in on Yankuba Minteh. Michael Olise is off the list now he’s heading to Bayern, but there’s plenty of quality options out there. My pick would be Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, but we’ve also seen links to Pero Neto of Wolves, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Chelsea’s Noni Madueke. Spain’s Nico Williams would be an electric signing, but it feels like he’ll be out of our reach after announcing himself to the world at Euro 2024.

With Callum Wilson out of contract next summer and likely to depart, another striker is also needed, but it won’t be easy to sign a goalscorer happy to (often) play second-fiddle to Alexander Isak. We held talks with Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the final week of June but failed to agree terms and seemed rightfully reluctant to go nowhere near Everton’s £35-40m asking price. I’d personally like to see us look at Tammy Abraham; the lanky Roma forward available on the cheap who is eyeing a return to the Premier League.

Other areas of the squad could require strengthening, too. We’re sorted at left-back – Lewis Hall’s £28m move is now complete, Lloyd Kelly has signed and we also have Dan Burn – but another right-back will be needed if Kieran Trippier is sold. Swedish defender Emil Krafth is also out of contract next summer. We’re generally stacked in midfield when everyone is fit, but Elliot Anderson’s shock move to Nottingham Forest could change things.

Some worrying claims have emerged on Anthony Gordon since Sunday’s deadline passed, with The Telegraph suggesting his ‘head has been turned’ by the prospect of a move to boyhood club Liverpool. Hopefully this doesn’t turn into an unwanted transfer saga, as we could really do without losing our star left-winger and the heartbeat of our attack last season who delivered double figures in goals and assists.

After a chaotic end to June, let’s hope July and August brings exciting signings and a few suitable sales, sending us into the 2024/25 season equipped for another attack at the top four.