Newcastle United’s £70 million summer transfer decision that has left some concerned

Newcastle United’s summer transfer window has split opinion as debate rages on over whether the club strengthened sufficiently for the campaign ahead. The Magpies welcomed Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento, and Lewis Hall to Tyneside in moves that have pleased most but there are some concerns that Eddie Howe’s squad has been left short in certain areas.

It’s no secret that United were looking at adding to their ranks at center-back while others had hoped for someone to arrive to rival Miguel Almiron on the flank, as well as calls for additions up-front. However, United ended the window without any players arriving in those positions and it has left some wondering whether they did enough during the summer.

The Mirror’s Simon Bird asked questions about the arrival of Hall and Livramento. Both young players at 19 and 20 and with big futures ahead of them – but Bird wonders if the money to bring them to Tyneside would have been better spent on an ‘impact player’ who can make a difference to the team right away.

Livramento cost United an initial £32 million, while Hall has arrived on loan with the move set to become permanent next summer at the cost of £28 million plus add-ons.

Speaking to podcast host Andrew Musgrove, who felt the club had a good window but for the lack of arrival of a defensive midfielder, Bird said: “You say that they have a good transfer window but a lot of fans have been questioning that on social media.

“You spend £70 million on two reserve fullbacks who aren’t in the team yet, aren’t bolstering [the squad]. They’re giving Kieran Trippier a kick up the backside, and Dan Burn or Matt Targett competition and they’re probably not into the training and systems fully yet at Newcastle and being held back but you’re in The Champions League now.

“It might be a one-off if they can’t get top four or five this year – surely you’d probably want to spend that £70 million on an impact play now? So have they had a good transfer window? Should they have not gone for an impact player rather than building for the future?”

The arrival of Barnes from Leicester City was hailed a superb coup for United but the winger has yet to start a Premier League game for the Magpies with Anthony Gordon getting the starting place. Bird queried just whether United had too many options at left wing. “Have they left themselves overstaffed at left-wing?

“You’ve got two big money signing in the two last windows worth £80m and you’ve got Gordon and Barnes for effectively the same position. I don’t see yet the versatility. Okay in Gordon, he can play in the middle or he could possibly switch to the right but it’s not his best position. You’ve got £80m committed on the left wing and that seems slightly bizarre to me, why you signed Barnes when you have Gordon.”

Despite his reservations over United’s business this summer, Bird feels Hall and Livramento are set for big futures at Newcastle United. Livramento arrived from Southampton after a long drawn-out transfer chase, and Hall, a Toon supporter, from Chelsea.

“We don’t know what the price of the player they may have wanted were,” Bird added, “we don’t know the prices being asked, the agent fees, or the clubs that will or won’t deal with them – so we don’t know what the number one plan was. But they’ve done it for the future. They have covered themselves for the future and two or three years down the line, we’ll be seeing the benefit of those two full-backs.

“Hall looks wonderful on the clips you see, and Livermento, United have watched him for a couple of years and I’ve seen him with England U21s and he is really good. But we’ve got to be patient on transfers because there are gaps that need plugging in that squad but we can’t expect it all to be done at once.”

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