Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is operating with the smallest summer transfer kitty he has had at his disposal since taking over as manager, unless the club sells more of its stars. The Magpies are also struggling to match top salaries across Europe, making the first few weeks of the window a slog for Howe and his backroom team in terms of getting senior players over the line.
Recruitment Challenges and Internal Wishes
Recruitment has been a test for Howe and sporting director Ross Wilson so far, but the wish internally is for fans to pause judgment until the end of the trading period. Chronicle Live understands that Newcastle thought they had won the race for Victor Munoz, who joined Liverpool for £34m, only for bad news to filter through to Tyneside after a late swoop from the Reds.
Newcastle are understood to have had Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund put to them by the player's agency, but this was instantly dismissed as he was deemed too expensive at £73.5m. The Magpies' spending limit has been underlined in recent days, with a portion of the £69.3m picked from the sale of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona available, but United are unable to splash out much further than a similar figure that would have been paid to Osasuna — unless another big outgoing sale is made.
Historical Spending Comparison
Howe spent more than £240m last summer and was afforded £65m in the main window in 2024, while in 2023 around £140m was given to the head coach, with £163m spent in 2022. But this summer it will be the smallest purse he has worked with unless a big sale is made in the next few weeks.
Interest in Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali
In a week which has resulted in Sandro Tonali being offered to Arsenal, a move that was initially dismissed after his £100m asking price and wage demands, Newcastle's willingness to trade is believed to have led to enquiries via intermediaries in Bruno Guimaraes. Despite reports of an offer north of £55m, Toon sources insist there has been no approach or bid tabled for their skipper at this stage, and even if there was, the starting stance has been that Bruno is 'not for sale'.
In the world of transfers, that usually means that only an astronomical fee would be considered for a high-profile sale like the Brazilian star, but as Alexander Isak's sale to Liverpool proved last summer at £125m, Newcastle's owners PIF are tough sellers. Once Arsenal were offered Tonali, they then followed up to see where United stood on Bruno, a player they have tracked before. It has to be stressed that up until this point, there has been no official approach or even enquiry directly to Newcastle, and Toon chiefs aren't exactly thrilled that the Premier League champions clumsily made their way into the headlines when trying to do their homework on a price.
Nevertheless, as reported by Chronicle Live this week, Bruno remains a player who is crucial to the project on Tyneside and has two years left on his deal, with Newcastle bosses adamant he won't be sold on the cheap.
Bristol City Friendly and Ticket Information
Newcastle take on Bristol City on July 29 at Ashton Gate, and it is expected to be a popular away day for many Geordie fans. Given the controversy of the ticket prices for the Edinburgh game against Everton, Newcastle supporters may be heartened to hear home fans are currently being charged £10 for tickets for the clash at Ashton Gate — something likely to be the case for Toon supporters. The full allocation remains to be seen, but usually the Robins' away end offers 4,200 seats in their 27,000 revamped stadium. Newcastle's last visit to Bristol City was 10 years ago when Dwight Gayle popped up with the winner in the Sky Bet Championship.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott Event in Cullercoats
Notebook has been given the heads up on a big night coming up next autumn in Cullercoats with cricket legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott heading to the region. Sir Geoff will be at Cullercoats Crescent Club on Friday, October 9 and said: “I’ve always enjoyed coming to the North East. The passion that people have here for their sport is second to none. Whether it’s cricket, football or rugby, the supporters really care and that creates a special atmosphere. I’ve had many enjoyable visits to Durham over the years and made some wonderful friends there, so I’m looking forward to returning and sharing many stories with everyone in Cullercoats.” For tickets, ring the hotline at Goffy Media on 07990588424 or visit the booking site.
