Double transfer sets Eddie Howe’s squad up for the future
By Cade Cracas
Newcastle United has been very busy in recent weeks during the summer transfer window as they’ve sold a fair amount of the club’s deeper rotational pieces, while also bringing in smart transfers to help fill holes in their squad.
This past week, Newcastle confirmed the official transfers of two well-known Magpies to other clubs, goalkeeper Karl Darlow and winger Allan Saint-Maximin.
For quite some time now, Newcastle United has been in the works of preparing their squad for a Champions League push in the 2023-2024 season after impressing in the previous campaign.
One factor the team focused on was shaping and skewing the team into the image that Manager Eddie Howe believes in. To start, the Magpies went out into the open market and left with the signings of forward Harvey Barnes, midfielder Sandro Tonali and winger Yankuba Minteh.
Those three additions alone drastically have heightened the possibilities for the club in the coming season.
The Magpies often struggled with finding goals last season, and the signing of Barnes should drastically help with that as he recorded a stellar 13 goals for Leicester City last year alone.
However, in the wake of that transfer, the team sold winger Allan Saint-Maximin to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. The deal has no official fee that has been disclosed, but speculation places the deal at around￡50 million, which would instantly help replace the funds the Magpies spent on the transfers they brought in.
The deal for Saint-Maximin comes after his struggles with Newcastle were never truly eradicated, and both sides viewed a fresh start as a means to growth. He finished the 2022-23 season with a measly one goal.
On his way out Saint-Maximin shared his love for the Toon Army and his club on social media.
“I had to stay for helping my team to save the club from Premier League relegation because it meant the world to me,” he said. “Of course, during those dark days some may have had their doubts, but I always believed in this club and look where we are today, it’s just so beautiful.”
He then went on to finish his post showing support for the future.
“Newcastle is home now, I’ll continue to be your biggest supporter, I’ll watch every game and as long as the club keeps winning I’ll be the happiest man in the world… and for sure you will see me again,” he said. “I love you, I love you sincerely, I love you like a Geordie brother. Once a Geordie, always a Geordie.”
Just like Saint-Maximin, Darlow’s transfer from the club came as no surprise. Being the fourth goalkeeper on the depth chart showed little sign of him getting the call-up to the first team as a real threat.
Through nine years with the team, his real contribution came in the relegation year as the Magpies battled to make it back to the Premier League. During that time he competed in 34 starts and recorded 106 saves while allowing just 32 goals.
However, after that season he would go on to rarely start, and that number of starts hit just eight in the 2021-2022 season before he was ultimately loaned away to Hull City for the past campaign.
After going on loan, Darlow showed that he could consistently contribute to an EFL Championship squad, thus Leeds United entered the picture.
The 32-year-old ends his nine-year career with the Magpies and heads to Leeds on a small transfer of￡400,000. This transfer helped both sides move on, with at least a small amount of money returning to the pockets of Newcastle.
As Howe continues to shape his team and mold it into a contending squad for years to come, more of the veterans within the rotation may have to find a new place to call home. Recent reports have suggested the club may be looking to move winger Ryan Fraser amongst others.
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