UPDATED: 7/30/17 I've been holding off on starting a new transfer thread, and Newcastle have been cooperating by not signing anyone. Well, except for Lejeune. With two more players on the horizon, I thought we'd better get started: Coming In: PlayerPositionFromFee Florian LejeuneCB/DMSD Eiber£12.5m Jacob MurphyAM/RWNorwich£12m JoseluFWStoke£5m Javier ManquilloRBSMB£4.5m Mikel MerinoDMDortmundLoan+Buy Christian AtsuLWChelsea/NUFCUndisclosed Moving On: PlayerPositionToFee Florian ThauvinW/AMOlympique Marseille£9.35m Siem De JongAMAjax£3.7m Daryl MurphyFNottingham Forest£2m Kevin MbabuLBBSC Young Boys£1m Grant HanleyCBNorwich City£unknown Vurnon AnitaRB/DMLeedsFree Yoan GouffranW/FGöztepe SKFree Sammy AmeobiW/FBoltonFree Haris VuckicAM/FFC TwenteFree Emmanuel RiviereFFC MetzFree Matz SelsGKAnderlechtLoan Tim KrulGKBrighton & Hove AlbionLoan Achraf LazaarLBBeneventoLoan Unable to sell: Colback, Haidara, and Saivet Absolutely missing an impact signing and nowhere near the money that was promised to be spent. I'm not planning on complaining incessantly if it hasn't all been spent, but I'm sure Rafa won't stay if we have no ambition, and we're just waiting for our next relegation if we don't expect to upgrade to a Premier League roster. I will try to get this stickied and edited as the transfer window continues. Please post rumors (rumours) or players you'd like us to sign. Sadly, I haven't heard of any £20m rumors, except of the "no way they'd come here" variety. Hopefully that will change.
Is anyone impressed by the signing of Joselu? If he couldn't start for Stoke, why should he be starting for us? Lucas Perez would have been a decent - still not great - signing. I get that we don't have top 4 money, but smaller clubs are bringing in impact players, even if just one.
Can we have a moment of silence for the departure of Emmanuel Riviere? Who would have predicted the career he's had when he first appeared on our doorstep? I can only hope that we'll be able to replace him with someone who can produce the goals that he did during his brief reign on Tyneside.
Siem De Jong is sold to Ajax. I know he didn't get much playing time, but I'm still surprised by those who thought he would make an impact if only he were given more chances. He never looked likely to do anything, although he certainly can in the eredivisie. This is good for both sides.
SLAM! Another transfer window gone. No last minute coup for us. £5m Joselu is the best we could do at striker, and we dropped the ball at left lack - not even a stop-gap player. Dummet should have been upgraded, even if he wasn't on an extended injury. Now it's looking like Mbemba will play out of position, and if he gets hurt or suspended we'll have to see if we still have Haidara's number. They should get him some minutes to see what situation we're really in. Can't imagine Rafa won't find a better gig than this for next year, if not sooner.
A new transfer window is open! Newcastle have released a huge amount of players already, who's going to be brought in to replace them? Can they sign the loanees Dubravka and Kennedy? More importantly is there going to be any money to spend (meaning Rafa will stay)?
It's an opportunity or everyone, but I don't think FIFA or UEFA will support cancelling contracts. For as often as Bas Dost has been linked to Newcastle, it's amusing to see this fuel further speculation. We probably still won't get him.
I hesitate to continue calling this transfer thread "Rafa's Recruits" as he clearly is not getting the level of players he would be getting at any other Premier League club with our transfer surplus. Maybe "Charnley's lefotovers" would be more accurate. Nonetheless, I don't want to put that on the players, who may outperform their transfer fees. In any case, we're likely to be a little better than last year, with Kenedy from the off and two chances to do better than Joselu. I wish we had a #10 and cover at LB, but instead they sold Mitro and kept the money. Here is the current transfer tally: Coming In: PlayerPositionFromFee Martin DubravkaGKSparta Prague£3.6m Ki Sung-yuengDMSwanseaFree KenedyLWChelseaLoan Fabian ScharCBDeportivo La Coruna£3.6m Yoshinori MutoFWMainz£9.6m Salomon RondonFWWest BromGayle Loan + £2m Federico FernandezCBSwansea£6m Moving Out: PlayerPositionToFee Massadio HaidaraLBLensFree Stuart FindlayCBKilmarnockFree Mikel MerinoDMReal Sociedad£10.8m Chancel MbembaCBPorto£7.2m Matz SelsGKStrasbourg£3.6m Aleksandar MitrovicFWFulham£18.2m Adam ArmstrongFWBlackburn Rovers£1.7m Dwight GayleFWWest BromLoan Ivan ToneyFWPeterborough United£0.6m Total spent = £25m(in) - £42m(out) = negative £17m! minus Kenedy loan. Worst spend in the PL. I've never been less enthusiastic before a season opener. We're going nowhere, and Rafa is gone after this kind of backing. Transfer window closes on Thursday. No need to speculate on last minute deals. I'll just update here in 48 hours. EDIT: Window CLOSED. We got a last minute CB in Fernandez. No LB - supposedly we didn't get a deal for Jorge from Monaco done in time.
Well, better late than never. We now have Miguel Almirón as a #10, and Antonio Barreca - on loan - at left back. Two players was the bare minimum in our situation I think, and I am surprised we've achieved that much. Breaking our transfer record was another piece of good news. I don't know what that means, but I'm happy to retire the memory of Michael Owen at least. Now we wait to find out if Almirón can cut it at this level. I have not kept up with Atlanta at all. I didn't watch the MLS playoffs this year. However he does at NUFC, it will be a complete surprise to me. Perhaps fans who have watched him play can venture a guess here, and we can compare them with reality at the end of the season.
Also, Jacob Murphy has been loaned to West Brom after failing to win a spot in the starting lineup. This should be a good level for him to get the playing time he needs and reestablish his game. Pretty good window. If only Joselu could have found a new home, it would have been a great window.
Super over-paid for Almarion, but that’s what happens when it’s January. Hope he can cut it in the EPL, it’s not too kind to the slight-of-build. Thx, Jay!