£16.2m deals and dodged bullets: What happened to these Newcastle United summer transfer links

Here we look at how seven of the players most strongly linked with a move to Tyneside during the last transfer window have performed since they

Despite buying seven players over the summer, Newcastle sit 19th after a poor start to the season. Here, we take a look at seven players the Magpies were linked with but couldn’t lure to the North East and how they are doing in their respective leagues.

Diego Reyes

Newcastle faced reputed competition from West Ham United for the Mexican centre-back this summer.

He entered the off-season as a free agent after running down his contract at Porto, and was snapped up by Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.

But Reyes has made just four league and three Europa League appearances so far this season as the Istanbul club sit in a disappointing 16th in the Turkish top tier.

VERDICT: Dodged bullet

Alassane Plea

Plea was in high demand over the summer following 16 league goals for Nice in France’s 2017-18 Ligue 1 season.

Borussia Monchengladbach forked out £16.2 million for the striker in July and since then he has taken the Bundesliga by storm.

READ: Arsenal eyeing Newcastle target after move to Tyneside fell through

Five goals in nine appearances have propelled his side to third in the German top flight with Plea scoring every every 122 minutes as well as producing two assists.

VERDICT: One that got away

Marlon Santos

Santos was close coming to the North East with Benitez keen to bring him to Tyneside in the final days of the transfer window and the player himself excited to leave Barcelona.

The Brazilian centre-back played for Nice on loan last season and was looking for a move away from the Nou Camp, but saw his hopes of a St James’ Park switch scuppered when he failed to qualify for a work permit.

Santos promptly moved to Sassuolo in Italy, and although the relative minnows lie ninth on the same points as the likes of Roma and Milan, they have the worst defensive record in the top half of the table.

VERDICT: Jury still out.

Daniel Sturridge

The England was set to move to Tyneside on loan in January before West Brom persuaded him to move to the Midlands instead.

Despite an injury-jinxed spell at The Hawthorns, United were linked with Sturridge again in the summer.

MORE: Salomon Rondon sent this message by Rafa Benitez

But while few Newcastle fans were too bothered when Sturridge stayed at Liverpool, he has forced his way back into favour under Jurgen Klopp, scoring four goals in 11 appearances - including one against PSG in the Champions League.

VERDICT: One that got away?

Danny Ings

Repeatedly linked with both a loan and permanent move to Newcastle, Sturridge’s Liverpool teammate Ings eventually joined boyhood club Southampton this summer.

And the former Burnley man started this season in fine form with three goals in his first five league games.

Ings hasn’t scored in his last four outings in a struggling Saints side, but the Magpies may regret missing out on a proven goalscorer.

VERDICT: One that got away?

Stanley N’Soki

Reports late in the summer saw Newcastle linked with PSG full-back N’Soki and talk of a £7 million deal close to being agreed.

But despite United’s urgent need for left-back cover, the deal didn’t materialise.

READ: DeAndre Yedlin sends message to 'loyal' Newcastle fans

The youngster has gone on to make five appearances in Ligue 1 this season for the French champions, including starting against SM Caen last weekend.

VERDICT: One that got away

Fernando Torres

This was a more tenuous link over the summer, with Toon boss Rafa Benitez refusing to rule out the possibility of a transfer, but nothing more.

Torres ended up leaving Atletico Madrid and moved to Japan to play in the same Sagan Tosu squad as former Watford loanee Victor Ibarbo.

But with just four games left in their season, Segan sit in a relegation play-off position with the Spanish striker delivering just two goals and two assists in 13 league appearances.

VERDICT: Bullet dodged