“We’re not here to be popular, we’re here to compete” is the unofficial tagline of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United.
It’s a warning to the footballing elite that the Newcastle United side of much of the 2010s is gone, and that we now stand as a genuine force in English football. Being the reigning Carabao Cup holders and qualifying for two of the last three Champions League campaigns more than justify Howe’s words.
But this summer, what should have been a transformative window that cemented our elite, disruptive status has instead been a humbling experience, and a lesson learned into just how many modern footballers view the club compared to the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’.
The summer has reached such a low point now that The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has labelled us as being “the undateables” due to our lack of success in the market.
Luke Edwards’ brutal assessment
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, North East reporter Luke Edwards commented on the club’s repeated shortcomings in this summer’s window.
Having narrowly missed out on signing Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United, despite reportedly offering more money to RB Leipzig and a bigger wage to the player, it’s been the same old story for much of the summer.
It was the same story before Sesko, sadly. Liam Delap and Joao Pedro turned down Newcastle for Chelsea, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were not just too expensive but ‘only wanted Man Utd’, Hugo Ekitike chose Liverpool despite a major Newcastle bid and James Trafford ended up back at Man City after a 12-month pursuit was ultimately wasted.
Discussing the situation live on BBC Radio 5 Live, Edwards said:
“Newcastle have become football’s equivalent of the undateables this summer. The amount of people they’ve tried to hook up with, as it were, and keep being rejected.”
“I think it will hurt (Sesko to Man Utd), but it’s just repeating everything that’s happened this summer: they go in for players, they have their list of targets, they’re going for elite targets, every time they go in for somebody, one of the legacy big six come in and snap them away.”
“I think Sesko will hurt, obviously it has ramifications for Alexander Isak and Newcastle as well.”
“It’s just playing up to this idea that unfortunately, as good as Newcastle have been under Eddie Howe since the takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, they are not seen as an elite club in the transfer market.”
“Newcastle have become football’s version of the undateables.” 💔
Liam Delap ❌
Joao Pedro ❌
Bryan Mbeumo ❌
Matheus Cunha ❌
Hugo Ekitike ❌
James Trafford ❌
Benjamin Sesko ❌A brutal summary of Newcastle’s transfer window from @LukeEdwardsTele 😟#BBCFootball #NUFC pic.twitter.com/kjpRkeODIH
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) August 6, 2025
What would it take for Newcastle to ‘compete’ in the market again?
Most fans are astounded at how we’ve managed to have less ‘pull’ now, as a club with Champions League football, compared to when we had just been taken over and were staring down the barrel of relegation from the Premier League.
So just what could it possibly take for us to boost our appeal and be seen as a great option for players to continue moving to?
Off-the-field, we’re set to fix our issue of having no sporting director or CEO with the incoming appointments of Ross Wilson and David Hopkinson: if we sort that out, then we immediately come across better from a ‘competent’ point of view.
But it goes beyond staff, with PSR, commercial deals and overall finances playing a huge role in the wages we can offer out.
The issues with Alexander Isak certainly won’t have helped either: if we’ve been less than keen to reward our top player for his efforts, then what message does that send to any other star player? That you can come here and perform but we’re going to be hesitant about offering you a salary increase in line with how much we say we value you?
The sooner we address these two issues publicly, the quicker we may be able to get to work fixing this window and trying to end it on a high, with incoming signing Malick Thiaw hopefully the first of many late deal to salvages a summer of rejections.
Ouch.. that’s some seriously brutal commentary.
block blast(Quote)
And the fact that their average wage bill is 2 to 3x ours so that they can pay double the wages we can has nothing to do with it. It’s just that we’re not a ‘Big’ club. More media Bollox
PremAndUp(Quote)
It’s not just about finances though, as according to this article, we offered a greater transfer fee & wages for Sesko.
I also see this as a concerted effort by the Sceptic Six to keep us below them, as they now genuinely fear us. For example, also to destabilise the playing staff with the low ball offer for Isak, with him & his agent taking it hook, line & sinker! This is exactly what Eddie will be using coming to & into the season – it’s Sceptic Six fear of the Toon. HWTL!!
Toonmick(Quote)
If the rest of the squad need any motivation to qualify for the Champions League again, the press with their bias towards us along with PSR corruption has created a them against us situation.
I hope the contract breaker Isak comes in for some special treatment when we meet.
The FA should also step in and say unless there’s a release clause players can’t break a contract they have willingly signed, unless there’s a mutual agreement that benefits both parties.
Football will have no structure, and clubs have no certainty when purchasing players.
Joseph(Quote)
I’ve been so disappointed by the media this summer – in particular Hope & Downie!!.
These creeps do their day job, then immediately jump onto their YouTube channels for their side hussle – and they love it!! They love the doom mongering.
They slaughter the club by I’ve not heard either of them pipe up about the inequality of it all – I’ve not heard them question why a young player would choose Man U over NUFC when over the last few years countless young players have gone to Man U and not progressed one bit.
I get the financial side and I get they are an elite club with a rich history – but the fact is they are a present day mess of a club with players desperate to get out!!.
They have not plan!! They tried to sign Gyokeres – a player who has played for the manager and he refused Man U and picked Arsenal 🤷🏼♂️.
I’ve watched Downie speak on SSN and then cover the same thing on his YouTube channel and he speaks differently about the same thing 🤯.
Hope just loves to sensationalise everything & whip up a false drama to get views or a spot on Talksport so he can try and go viral with a Jordan exchange.
Every club miss out on targets in a transfer window – but yes, this summer has been particularly disappointing for NUFC – BUT look at all of those players & where they have ended up instead and they will be on more money or a greater chance of winning trophies 🤷🏼♂️ – we aren’t missing out to Wolves or Brentford here!!.
Elanga & Ramsey are good additions (as is Son Soo from what I’ve seen of him) and if we get Wissa, Thiaw and few more then we will have done just fine.
Sharpy17(Quote)
By all accounts we only bid for 4 of them Trafford Ekitike Pedro and Sesko. Edwards trying to stay relevant here.
Darren Bebb(Quote)
Completely agree mate, I said 2 days back this is a galvanising thing for the squad. If I was on the team I would be biting at the reigns to get cracking and score a few points.
kimtoon(Quote)
Edwards comes out with these narratives but with no context just bait and narratives .. he would understand that most in the club believe that we aspire to become a regular top 6 club and in elite competitions nobody is claiming we are elite ! ., much like villa and potentially forest ., Man Utd we’re also in for delap and Pedro and they turned them down?! .. there is also the problem of the cartel and restriction of trade both chelsea and city came with a bucket load of cash ., and became elite quickly .. until we challenge the rules in law courts or get the new stadium built we will continue to build and disrupt the legacy clubs .. until then expect more tripe and negative narratives from the media about us not being an elite club
Mike(Quote)
Wow… that’s some pretty harsh commentary
Block Blast(Quote)