There was hope Steve Bruce could seal a late loan move before the 11pm deadline with Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury discussed.
However, talks with The Foxes swiftly broke down, meaning just one senior player in the form of Joe Willock from Arsenal arrived to bolster Bruce’s squad.
Willock impressed on loan last season, which technically means United have no new faces in their ranks.
The mood around Tyneside is flat, especially given Newcastle are yet to claim three points from their opening Premier League games. They’ve also exited the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle to Burnley on penalties.
Will Bruce steady the ship and keep the club in the Premier League? Here’s where data experts FiveThirtyEight are tipping them to finish:
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13. Southampton - 44 points
The league season has petered out for the Saints after topping the table in November. All the focus is on the FA Cup semi-final with Leicester City. Current points tally: 36. Photo: CLIVE BRUNSKILL
14. Crystal Palace - 43 points
A comfortable finish predicted for Palace, who are preparing for a big summer with Roy Hodgson and a number of first-team players out of contract. Current points tally: 38. Photo: IAN WALTON
15. Brighton and Hove Albion - 43 points
A bizarre season for Brighton so far but the most important thing for them is they’re being predicted to retain their Premier League status. Current points tally: 33. Photo: JOHN WALTON
16. Burnley - 40 points
Sean Dyche’s side are tipped to get to the magic 40 points - which should be more than enough to survive in the Premier League this season. Current points tally: 33. Photo: PETER POWELL