How have missed targets affected Newcastle’s summer rebuild?

July 17, 2026 No Comments

How have missed targets affected Newcastle’s summer rebuild?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Victor Munoz and Johan Manzambi have been part of the Spain and Switzerland squads respectively at the World CupByCiaran Kelly

Newcastle United reporter

7 minutes ago

Newcastle United could have looked very different.

Had the club got their way, Johan Manzambi, Victor Munoz and Hugo Ekitike would all be wearing black and white by now.

But these players, and a handful of other top targets, have looked elsewhere in the past 12 months.

Manzambi has his sights set on a move to Aston Villa, who, unlike Newcastle, can offer Champions League football.

Ekitike and Munoz went to Liverpool. Benjamin Sesko joined Manchester United. Joao Pedro chose Chelsea. James Trafford, who remains on Newcastle’s radar, ended up at Manchester City.

Clubs lose out on targets – it is the nature of the beast – but Newcastle have been dealt their fair share of setbacks in the transfer market.

Although there is still plenty of time left in this current window, they clearly have work to do.

‘We only want players who want to play for Newcastle’

Newcastle have already bounced back once this summer.

After Liverpool signed Munoz, Newcastle discreetly pivoted to winger Bazoumana Toure, who completed a £43m move from Hoffenheim.

They will have to bounce back again.

Newcastle had been a little cautious about Manzambi, given the interest elsewhere, and it is understood the club moved on before Villa’s push to sign the midfielder became public.

There has certainly been a shift in approach in this window.

After qualifying for the Champions League and ending a seven-decade wait to win a major domestic trophy – the EFL Cup in 2025 – Newcastle went toe-to-toe with the league’s highest-earning clubs for several star players last summer.

The competition has still been intense for targets this time around, but Newcastle are looking at a different profile.

Should that come as a huge surprise?

Only five Premier League clubs had an older average starting age than Newcastle during a bruising domestic campaign last season, when Eddie Howe’s side finished 12th.

Young players need time to develop, but Newcastle have looked to target talents before they potentially become out of reach and cost more than £60m.

It is rather telling Newcastle’s three signings of the summer transfer window – Toure, midfielder Sean Steur and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen – were all aged 20 and under, hungry to develop and keen on making the move to St James’ Park.

Toure had other offers, but it is understood the Ivory Coast international had wanted to move to Newcastle “for a long time”.

Such a desire felt significant given head coach Howe has repeatedly made it clear he wants players who are “desperate” to play for the club.

It will also have struck a chord with Newcastle supporter Colin Mitchell after missing out on Munoz and co.

“With the events of last summer, and the couple of knockbacks we’ve had so far, it’s hard to defend,” Mitchell reported.

“But deep down the club is still very attractive to the right players, and we only want players who want to play for Newcastle.”

Three key players leave in a year

It feels a slightly different project, however, as the fifth anniversary of the Saudi Arabia-led takeover approaches.

Even when Newcastle were in relegation trouble in 2022, the hierarchy at the time sold a dream to Bruno Guimaraes that they could be a “big power”.

Now, though, the Newcastle captain has intimated he wishes to join Arsenal, who have yet to make contact with the club.

As adored as Guimaraes is on Tyneside, does the 28-year-old have the patience to help lead a new era at Newcastle as the captain of a young group who will take time to flourish?

Does Guimaraes feel this is potentially the last chance he would have to win a Premier League title or the Champions League if Arsenal come to the table?

In the past 12 months he has watched Alexander Isak move to Liverpool and Anthony Gordon join Barcelona.

Newcastle, fresh from a Uefa settlement, have also sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham in a deal worth up to £100m which will enable them to significantly reinvest within the game’s financial rules.

Tonali left Newcastle to link up with fellow Italian Roberto de Zerbi, but he will also command far bigger wages because of Spurs’ higher revenues despite also missing out on Europe.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says there have been a variety of “pull factors” that Newcastle have had to contend with.

“The opportunity to play for clubs of the stature of Barcelona or to play in London is very attractive to players,” he reported.

“With Newcastle not competing in Europe this season, that could be a contributory factor. The Champions League is the biggest tournament in terms of club football for a player and that’s an attraction.

“The other issue is wages. Guimaraes is handsomely paid at Newcastle, but they can’t match Arsenal’s wages.

“Arsenal can pay £300,000 a week, which will be close to twice what he is on at present. If you’re 28 and looking at a four-year contract, you do the sums and that becomes very attractive.”

The challenge for Newcastle is to prove that this can still be a “very attractive” project in its own right.

Not only to Guimaraes but future signings too.