Newcastle was the biggest spender in the winter transfer window. The English club left € 102.1 million on the market and was ahead of the closest pursuer (Juventus) by almost € 5 million. On the one hand, such expenses are understandable. Wealthy owners acquired the club, who do not want to get relegated to the Championship. On the other hand, €100+ million is a sum far in excess of Newcastle’s €60m transfer budget, which was revealed by The Telegraph at the end of 2021.
Which players did Newcastle sign during the winter transfer window?
The club spent €45m on Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier. On January 28, Newcastle announced the acquisition of Bruno Guimarães from Lyon for €40+8 million, and on the last day of the window snatched Dan Burn from Brighton for €15 million.
It is easy to condemn Newcastle for overspending in a single transfer window but it was expected from the moment the club was acquired by the richest owners in the world. Here is a little breakdown.
Bruno Guimaraes – €42.1 million
Everything is simple here – Newcastle strengthens the centre of the field by signing a universal midfielder, who can play both a regular “eight” (with creative tasks) and a pure defensive midfielder. This is an investment not only in the quality of the team but also in a new style, the construction of which was limited by the capabilities of the previous squad. The technical and dynamic Guimarães will help a lot in creating the new structure.
Chris Wood – €30 million
Yes, the amount for a 30-year-old huge striker initially seems not quite adequate. But everything can be explained. Firstly, Newcastle is fighting for survival with a minimum clip in the attack. Joelinton was suddenly retrained as a linebacker, and Dwight Gale, after a knee injury, never regained his previous form. Only Callum Wilson and Allen Saint-Maximin remain, who often break down.
So, Wood became a curious option – there are no attackers of this type in Newcastle + Wood is very good in heading and 1v1 plays. This is immediately an upgrade to flank attacks and overall standards.
Kieran Trippier – €15 million
Trippier’s capabilities are well known to many Premier League fans from Burnley with Tottenham – now Newcastle can effectively use the right flank of the attack thanks to Trippier’s constant connections. We also note that Newcastle gave half as much money for the defender as for Wood.
Dan Burn – €15 million
Who is Byrne and why was he paid for like Trippier? Firstly, Newcastle’s centre of defence does not look like a stronghold of reliability now. Therefore, the individual level of Burn, who played well for Brighton, allows him to immediately become the main one in the new team and improve the quality of defence.
Will Newcastle get relegated?
Overall, for the first time since the start of this campaign, there is a glimpse of hope for Newcastle. The team is on a streak of six league games without a loss and they finally stepped beyond the borders of the relegation zone. The winter transfers transformed the team and we now expect them to reach even higher before the end of the season.
Newcastle will become a good pick for betting against any of the weaker teams and there are few places that are better for sports betting at the moment than Premier League, which have incredible codes for existing customers on this website. See for yourself if you haven’t received yours already.
Photo by Unsplash