Newcastle United's new signings Sean Steur and Ewen Jaouen are already putting in the work ahead of the club's official pre-season return on Monday, July 13. The 18-year-old Dutch midfielder Steur was unveiled as the club's third summer signing on Thursday after completing a move from Ajax, while French goalkeeper Jaouen, 20, joined from Stade Reims last month.
Steur's Rapid Transfer
Steur, a highly rated midfielder, was tracked by some of Europe's biggest clubs, but Newcastle moved quickly to secure the deal earlier this week. The speed of the transfer surprised many, including Steur himself, who featured in Ajax's 3-1 friendly defeat to Panathinaikos just six days before his announcement.
"Obviously the last few days have gone fast," Steur explained in his first interview with Newcastle United's club media. "But we have spoken now for a few weeks so for me it was more known than maybe for you guys but in the last few days there was a lot of progress and I am very happy to join."
Early Training Advantage
Steur has already been in pre-season training for two-and-a-half weeks in Amsterdam, which will benefit both him and Newcastle. He will join the rest of his teammates at the KNOX training centre ahead of schedule, bringing energy to the group. The first-team squad is set to report back on July 13, except for seven players who were involved in the World Cup: Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Woltemade, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa, and new signing Bazoumana Toure.
Behind the Scenes Interaction
In a behind-the-scenes interaction documented on the club's media channels, Steur was shown around the training facilities by senior football executive Andy Howe and performance director James Bunce. He then met Jaouen, who was doing individual training at the club's Benton training base. Bunce introduced the pair, noting that Jaouen joined the club a few weeks ago. Steur promised to learn French, but Bunce assured him that Jaouen's English is 'top'.
Bunce then mentioned that Jaouen is out doing some training, and the two new signings had a chat where Jaouen suggested Steur is already 'ahead of the game'. This indicates that Jaouen is also trying to get ahead by familiarizing himself with his new surroundings before the squad returns.
Goalkeeping Department
The France under-21 international Jaouen will initially compete with Nick Pope, Mark Gillespie, and Aidan Harris in the goalkeeping department. However, there is speculation that another goalkeeper may be signed and that Pope could leave the club amid Premier League interest elsewhere.
