Newcastle United’s permanent acquisition of Aston Villa loanee Matt Targett is their only deal of the summer so far, despite the club having been expected to go into the transfer window all-guns-blazing given their new-found status as the richest club in the world.
The Magpies have been linked with a whole host of names since the 2021/22 Premier League campaign ended last month, and although deals for Lille’s Sven Botman and Reims striker Hugo Ekitike seem to be edging closer, things have somewhat stalled of late. The summer transfer window may have only been open for 10 days, but some fans have wanted more progress in terms of transfers than has already been made.
But amid fan discussion of Newcastle's transfer market activity on Twitter, co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi has replied to one tweet with a simple four-word answer which could hint at what's to come on Tyneside.
Ghodoussi has provided a sense of calmness to those who are growing impatientm tweeting: “Patience is a virtue.”
Ghoudoussi’s calm response suggests that everything is under control on Tyneside as far as the board are concerned and that plenty of good things will eventually come Newcastle ’s way ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, with the Magpies kicking things off with the visit of Nottingham Forest on August 6.
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Manager Eddie Howe has been keen to get his side’s transfer business done early this year, and ahead of Newcastle’s return to pre-season on July 1, he would like at least one fresh face, aside from Targett, to be present at the club’s training ground at the start of next month.
And it certainly seemed his wish would be granted after Reims club president Jean-Pierre Caillot revealed to French media that a bid had been accepted for Ekitike 19 days ago, and that things had since been left in the hands of the 20-year-old’s advisers. Yet in almost three weeks since, a deal is yet to be agreed on and confirmed by Newcastle. Ekitike is happy to move on from the Ligue 1 outfit this summer, but has spent time mulling over his options.
Elsewhere, Newcastle’s long-standing interest in Lille defender Sven Botman has continued to brew, and after failing to sign one of their top targets in the January transfer window the Magpies are back in the game for the centre-back. It had looked like Botman was bound for Serie A champions AC Milan, with the Rossoneri able to offer Champions League football.
But that deal has stalled, allowing the Toon a way back in for the Dutch giant. With Newcastle’s hierarchy confident and Ghodoussi’s crafty transfer message, it seems like only a matter of time before new faces do indeed arrive.
