Newcastle United fans could be forgiven for thinking the club is cursed given how the 2025 summer transfer window has unfolded.
Having secured Champions League qualification at the end of the previous campaign, the club went into the close season eager to strengthen their squad.
However, things have not gone to plan, with Anthony Elanga’s acquisition from Nottingham Forest the only major signing they have completed to date.
There have been several outgoings including Lloyd Kelly and Sean Longstaff. Callum Wilson has also left the club on a free transfer.
Wilson has been linked with several Premier League clubs including West Ham United, while Everton have also been touted as a potential destination.
While speaking to Betway, former England centre-back Joleon Lescott picked out Wilson as an ideal signing for the Merseyside outfit.
“I’ll tell you who wouldn’t be a bad one – Callum Wilson,” Lescott said. “He wouldn’t be a bad signing because he focuses on goals, has a high work rate and that is what Everton fans love. As much as you’re scoring goals, what are you giving?
“He plays with his heart on his sleeve. Knowing him as a person, the temperament of the club and the expectation – he’s coming from Newcastle where the expectation is very high, so he wouldn’t be fazed by the expectation of Everton either.”
Lescott’s praise for Wilson is unsurprising given the impact he had at Newcastle, although it is difficult to argue against the club’s decision to release him.
However, his exit will be felt by the club if they fail to sign a suitable replacement and that is proving to be easier said than done.
Bryan Mbeumo, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Matheus Cunha have all been linked with Newcastle, but they will all be playing elsewhere next season.
It has been a similar story with other potential transfers. Goalkeeper James Trafford was expected to sign for the club, but may end up at Manchester City.
Newcastle’s troubles in the transfer market are not a new phenomenon. Many top players are attracted to the bright lights of Manchester and London rather than the north east.
However, the club must not panic. Of the players they have missed out on, you would be hard-pressed to argue any of them are truly elite.
Delap could have been a shrewd signing at £30 million, but the other four forwards all look overpriced. Paying over the odds for any player is never a good idea.
Speculation linking striker Alexander Isak with a move elsewhere does not help matters, but the club has remained steadfast that he will not be sold this summer.
With over a month remaining in the transfer window, Newcastle still have time to strengthen their squad with a handful of top-class players.
Manager Eddie Howe’s comments about the type of players Newcastle want to bring in should give supporters confidence that things will ultimately work out.
“I wish I could give you clarity,” Howe told reporters. “I wish I could give you some kind of guarantee that ‘this is going to happen’ but I can’t.
“My wish was for us to do our business early and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be. We have had a frustrating time in terms of losing targets to other clubs. I’ve been very open about that. That’s happened on several occasions, but you just have to accept it.
“In order for a transfer to really work, the player has to be desperate to come to your club and if we don’t get that, the transfer doesn’t work.
“We are seeking players that are good enough, are desperate to come and can make a difference.”
While the September 1 transfer deadline may feel a little too close for comfort, the club’s insistence on signing the right players should ultimately pay dividends.
