Howe's Transfer Approach Compared to Keegan's
John Gibson argues that Newcastle United's current transfer strategy, focused on signing young players, is a gamble that lacks the experience of Kevin Keegan's era. The club has signed four youngsters this summer, most recently Monaco defensive midfielder Aladji Bamba, 20, for £34m. While Keegan was known for bold, decisive deals, Howe and sporting director Peter Beardsley have struggled in recent windows, with Newcastle dithering and failing to close deals.
Keegan's Successful Signings
Keegan's approach brought in a mix of players, including Killer Kilcline from Oldham Athletic for £250,000, Kevin Sheedy as a free transfer, John Beresford, Paul Bracewell, Rob Lee, Andy Cole, and others. Terry McDermott, Keegan's assistant, recalled: "Kevin always made up his mind quickly about someone - I remember once when we went up to Scotland to watch a player and he turned to me as the guy ran out the tunnel and said 'he's no good to us'. The fella hadn't even kicked a ball. It was all to do with his shape and the way he moved. What's more, Kevin was right - he wasn't worth signing."
Risks of Youth Policy
Howe started strongly at Newcastle with signings like Kieran Trippier, Lewis Miley, Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali, and Dan Burn. But last summer's window was poor, and this close season has been slow. Letting three top internationals leave and replacing them with three 20-year-olds and an 18-year-old is a major gamble, according to Gibson. The hope is that Howe can eventually match Keegan and Joe Harvey's eye for talent, but the jury is out.
