Newcastle United signings – Quality not quantity

Only 26 more shopping days for Newcastle United signings.

This summer 2024 window will slam shut at 11pm on Friday 30 August.

Only then will we be able to all fully judge how successful, or not, this close season has been for NUFC.

Odysseas Vlachodimos, John Ruddy, Lloyd Kelly and Lewis Hall the four permanent Newcastle United signings so far.

Whilst of course Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh left St James’ Park.

For me it is all about quality not quantity from this point on, unless you are talking about younger inexperienced players such as Will Osula, who looks set to come in as a £10m (plus £5m potential add-ons) as a squad member for the new season and hopefully a first-team competitor in the future.

Which brings to the many conversations from other Newcastle United fans, who think we are in some sort of crisis situations and if a fair few further Newcastle United signings are not made in these next 26 days, that it will be inviting disaster.

For me, it is like these past two and a half years or so never happened, when I hear those conversations.

Nick Pope is class, whilst I think we all pretty much hope that Livramento and Hall are going to be our first-choice full-backs for many years to come, with possibly Tino competing with Kieran Trippier for one more season. Surely nobody seriously thinks we should be spending massive money on these three positions?

Lloyd Kelly has been added as a left-side central defensive option, to compete with Dan Burn and Sven Botman (when back to full fitness), both Burn and Kelly can also play left-back as well.

Fabian Schar was arguably Newcastle’s player of the season last year and starred for Switzerland at the Euros.

Then further up the pitch, I thnk very exciting times with Bruno, Joelinton, Tonali, Gordon and Isak, that quintet is absolute top quality. Then we also have Almiron, Barnes, Murphy, Longstaff and so on.

It looks very clear and obvious that Newcastle United are now trying to sign a new first-choice right winger, who can also play through the middle ideally. Plus, at right centre-back, somebody to compete with and even play in front of Schar!

The idea we are desperate for massive expensive signings in any other positions is a bit mad.

If money was no object and we were in the Champions League then maybe, but you have to live in the real world, so having hugely expensive players sitting on the bench regularly, just isn’t how it can play out.