Newcastle United’s revealing transfer strategy after Everton move and ‘close’ Blackburn agreement

The headlines of Newcastle United’s transfer window so far will show two players signed and two players sold, however, dig a bit deeper and a fresh and exciting policy is beginning to develop. The Magpies will be focussed on strengthening Eddie Howe’s first-team squad as they look to haul themselves back into European competition.

But they will also have one eye on the future and have already demonstrated this with the capture of a few highly-rated young players. Earlier this week, they confirmed the signing of former West Ham academy player Ezra Tika-Lemba who joins former Portsmouth and Everton duo, CJ Afumuzor and Aaron Epia, in agreeing scholarship deals with the club.

They may have missed out on signing Sunderland’s Chris Rigg, but Newcastle are reportedly close in adding another Championship starlet, namely Blackburn Rovers’ Rory Finneran, to their ranks. Finneran was an unused substitute during Newcastle’s clash with Blackburn in the FA Cup at Ewood Park back in February having made his senior debut for the club a round previous, aged just 15.

None of these players will likely have an impact in the senior side next season, nor will they likely feature in the season after that, but they all point towards an exciting future and a transfer policy that the Magpies neglected under previous ownership. This is by no means the beginning of the change in policy, deals to sign Alex Murphy, Garang Kuol et al were sanctioned during the first year or so of new ownership, but it is a good omen for the future that they are keeping on and even stepping this policy up.

And in a world of PSR, it could be a strategy that rewards them greatly in the future. Newcastle United sold Yankuba Minteh for more than £20m profit to Brighton without him even kicking a ball for the club, whilst Elliot Anderson was moved to Nottingham Forest in a deal that saw them net £35m in pure profit. 

Manchester City and Chelsea have been great exponents of this in recent times and this policy is one of the reasons, amid a great deal of befuddlement in supporters, why the Blues have escaped any sort of PSR related penalties. It may take a few years, but Newcastle United will eventually reap the rewards.