Newcastle United will add 'three or four quality players in the summer' and have already 'identified transfer targets', according to Steve Bruce.
The Magpies, like most clubs, tend to plan for transfer windows several months before they open and at this stage last year, Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Jetro Willems were already well-aware of the club's interest.
While there is much confusion surrounding contracts and transfer window dates because of coronavirus, this will be an important upcoming window for Bruce - whenever it eventually opens.
The Newcastle head coach was only appointed with little more than three weeks remaining in the summer transfer window last year so the majority of the club's deals were already in place.
In January, Bruce vowed to only bring in players who would improve his side and the Magpies made three loan signings - Nabil Bentaleb, Valentino Lazaro and Danny Rose.
Newcastle also made a move for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare. While a big-money bid was accepted by the Ligue 1 side, and Bruce and Newcastle officials were booked to go and meet the 21-year-old, Soumare opted to keep his options open for the summer.
Bruce had wanted to bring in a dynamic midfielder to give his side more legs in the middle of the park but when it came to the black-and-whites' struggles in front of goal, the Newcastle head coach felt there was not a striker available who would immediately improve the forwards at his disposal after a loan move for Olivier Giroud failed.
That situation is sure to be revisited later in the year and Bruce certainly knows what his side need after eight months in the job at St James' Park.
"The plan is to grow and improve," he told the Telegraph. "We will add three or four quality players in the summer to the experienced core we have got. Players like Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin, who everybody can see have improve us.
"We have identified transfer targets and when this blows over, we will make the moves to get them. We know what we need."
