Inside Newcastle’s transfer plans as Sandro Tonali leaves for Tottenham and Magpies eye ‘transformational’ summer | Football News

Losing Sandro Tonali was never part of Newcastle’s plan, but there is an acceptance that the £100m fee Tottenham are paying for the midfielder will be necessary to unlock what they hope is a transformative summer in the market.

This could be the biggest window under Eddie Howe since that first January when he was appointed, with the potential for as many as six to eight new signings as sporting director Ross Wilson embarks on his first summer at St James’ Park.

The remit is to sign young, hungry players and to have a full reset of the squad after a difficult season which showed there is a need for change. The funds from Anthony Gordon and Tonali’s sales will boost Newcastle’s capacity to land the targets they want.

We have already seen the progress made since Tonali’s transfer to Spurs was agreed with Bazoumana signed from Hoffenheim. That deal is worth £42m, which is toward the top end of Newcastle’s price range for targets this summer.

Fans might have to adjust their expectations in that regard compared to last season after the team dropped out of Europe, but the real measure of success in this window feels like it will be just as much about the players Newcastle keep as the ones they bring in.

Captain Bruno Guimaraes is the player attentions will turn to now. Arsenal have been exploring the conditions of a deal through intermediaries and are believed to have made an informal offer during that process, which did not satisfy Newcastle’s demands.

It is hard to put a value on someone like Bruno. He is the heartbeat of the team and represents the fans on the pitch. The Brazilian gets what it is to be a Newcastle player. More so than Tonali, he is the one supporters could not stomach losing.

It always felt like there was a greater desire from Tonali and his representatives to get a move this summer. Meanwhile, with Bruno, although he might be open to exploring his options, there is a sense that he would be happy to fight and continue with Newcastle.

Never say never in transfers, but it would come as a huge surprise if Bruno followed Tonali out of the exit door this summer. Newcastle do not want to sell the Brazilian.

That said, every player has his price, even the skipper, whose departure would be heartbreaking for the fans. It would take a huge offer to test Newcastle’s resolve.

Which positions are they looking at?

As for other players linked with exits, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, the noise seems to have quietened. Livramento, who has had troubles with injuries, pulling out of the World Cup suggests a move away is less likely.

On Hall, who has interest from Manchester United, it is hard to imagine anyone paying the type of money Newcastle would want for him.

The key for Newcastle when considering offers for their stars will be identifying if the right players are available to replace them. Johan Manzamabi, the target at Freiburg, for instance, looks like he has similar attributes to Tonali, while Toure is a Gordon replacement.

Elsewhere, we know Newcastle want another goalkeeper even though they have signed Ewen Jaouen, who is one for the future. James Trafford is on their high on their list after missing out on him last summer to Manchester City.

Right-back is another area Newcastle are looking at because of Kieran Trippier’s departure, while they might bring in another left-back as support for Hall. As well as a left-winger, which looks like being Toure, they are keen for a striker.

More than £120m was spent on Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade – but so far they have not delivered. Newcastle want a No 9 that can deliver goals. Will Osula is also set to be in the mix after an impressive run of form at the end of last season.

Magpies shopping in different market

As referenced, Newcastle will be shopping in a different market this summer, going from the £60m-£80m range of last summer to more around £20m-£40m in this window. This will put the focus on recruiting young players, likely from Europe, due to the value on offer.

Arguably, Newcastle’s greatest successes in the market under this regime have been signings at that price range: the likes of Bruno, Gordon, Hall, Livramento, Sven Botman. It will be up to sporting director Wilson, in his first summer window, to deliver similar success.

Last summer Newcastle were without a sporting director after Paul Mitchell’s sudden exit. That left Howe and his nephew, Andy – whose title has shifted from assistant head of first-team recruitment to senior football executive – to run the window. Now it is up to Wilson.

There have been early frustrations after missing out on Zadick Yohanna and Victor Munoz. Munoz brought up memories of last summer with Liverpool swooping in late ahead of Newcastle as they did with Hugo Ekitike before signing Alexander Isak.

Clearly, there is no problem with Newcastle’s talent identification – the players they’ve missed out on have gone to top clubs and impressed. The issue has been getting the deals over the line. Avoiding more mishaps like that again is key to rebuilding trust.

Howe committed despite SCR restrictions

There is still a long way to go and Newcastle are optimistic that they can rebuild the squad in the way that they want to ahead of the new season. Balancing the finances will be a big consideration as we shift from PSR to the new Squad Cost Ratio rules.

Newcastle recently entered into a settlement agreement with UEFA over breaches of its own version of SCR and the football earnings rule. They also had to pay a fine of around £5m. Newcastle have not fallen foul of the Premier League’s financial rules up to now.

UEFA’s SCR only allows clubs to spend 70 per cent of their revenue compared to 85 per cent in the Premier League – but Newcastle still have to keep to those stricter limitations because of their settlement agreement despite not being in Europe.

Howe, who has not been shy to share his frustrations with the financial rules restricting Newcastle, will hope they do not prevent the club from delivering on their plans for his rebuild. He was under a lot of pressure at times last season.

As far as we’re aware at Sky Sports News, Howe is very much focused on next season, rebuilding the team and starting a new journey.

He has got the full support of the board after the success he has brought in ending the 70-year trophy drought and two Champions League campaigns.

His big challenge now is going again, with a fresh team. It feels like the end of one journey and the start of a new one.