Newcastle United deserves the utmost credit given the manner in which new owners PIF steered the club away from the shallows last season while avoiding relegation before credible January business was the catalyst necessary for Eddie Howe to push the club to a mid-table finish.
But during a summer of growing expectation on Tyneside on the back of club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s desire to turn the St. James’ Park outfit into a top club in the Premier League, the Magpies have fallen slightly short of the mark as the 2022-23 league program is set to kick-off this weekend on Friday.
It is true that the club has done well when it came to securing Dutch international center-back Sven Botman from LOSC Lille in a £30m move, with Nick Pope and Matt Targett following in the door for a combined £24m from Burnley and Aston Villa respectively, but they have still fallen short at adding quality in the forward line that pushes the needle for the club’s potential.
Per reports from Sky Sports’ North-East correspondent Keith Downing, Newcastle continues to be stifled in its attempt to secure a move for Leicester City star James Maddison.
Second Newcastle offer for James Maddison rejected by Leicester. Newcastle deciding whether to continue their pursuit of Maddison or move on to other targets. They don’t want to overpay for players due to FFP regulations. With colleague @skysports_sheth #NUFC https://t.co/Kk9FdMMQZP
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) August 2, 2022
Newcastle tried to build on their first offer – which was also rejected – by tabling an approach said to be around £40m which included add-ons, but the Foxes are adamant about holding out for an offer that could exceed £50m while also fighting off interest from Chelsea for key center-back Welsey Fofana, with Youri Tielemans remaining a potential target for Arsenal before the window closes.
Should Leicester remain stubborn in negotiations, Newcastle could find it prudent to move on to other potential targets according to Downie the likes of Leeds United’s Jack Harrison and Chelsea youngster Armando Broja, which the club has also expressed recent interest in.
“We would like to add there. It’s no secret we’ve been looking at a couple of attackers who could make a difference. Players with different profiles. We are still looking for 1/2 players that can make a difference for us. We won’t stop.”
What that could look like pertaining to who the club looks to target next remains to be seen, but what is abundantly clear is, despite being under the PIF umbrella and now one of the richest club’s in world football, Newcastle refuses to be held to ransom while maintaining a transfer approach that falls in line with FFP regulations moving forward.
