Newcastle’s terrible summer transfer window just got even WORSE

Newcastle have been having a disastrous summer, from missing out on a host of top targets to seeing their best player try to force his exit, but things could be about to get a lot worse for Eddie Howe.

The Magpies have signed just one player this summer in Anthony Elanga, who became the only major arrival to Newcastle’s first team in nearly two years after completing a €60 million move from Nottingham Forest earlier this month.

Howe was grateful to sign a priority target in Elanga but the summer has been frustrating otherwise to say the least, having seen the likes of Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Liam Delap all reject moves to St James’ Park and head to Premier League rivals.

The situation surrounding Alexander Isak has also become ugly, with the striker being left out of the squad’s pre-season tour of Asia after asking to leave to join Liverpool, who are preparing to make a record-breaking bid for Newcastle’s top scorer.

Newcastle had been hoping to pull off a coup by signing Benjamin Sesko as a potential replacement for Isak but the RB Leipzig youngster is seemingly holding out for a move to Manchester United, leaving Newcastle back to square one.

The club’s pre-season friendly against a team of K-League all-stars might have been a welcome distraction for Howe but his misery was compounded with a 1-0 defeat and a potential serious injury that leaves Newcastle in further disarray.

Newcastle face race against time to rescue humiliating transfer window

The majority of Newcastle’s attention this summer has been on forwards despite also targeting investment throughout the spine of their team, including in midfield after the €15m sale of Sean Longstaff to Leeds last week.

And the need for bodies was made even more imperative for the Magpies after Joe Willock was stretchered off with a potentially-serious ankle injury in the defeat on Wednesday, leaving Howe with just four senior options to field in his three-man midfield.

Newcastle now have just one month to address all their priorities from the start of the summer, which included the need for a striker to replace the now-departed Callum Wilson, an extra body in midfield, a young centre-back and a goalkeeper.

The latter appears to be the one area where Newcastle have enjoyed some success, with Aaron Ramsdale set to sign on loan from Southampton to add competition to Nick Pope in goal, but the move only materialised after a 14-month pursuit of James Trafford ended in the Burnley keeper joining Manchester City.

Even if Isak makes a dramatic u-turn and remains at Newcastle, the club still face the prospect of trying to cram the work of two summer windows in four weeks, all while having no sporting director and a CEO serving his notice.

The sentiment around the summer – and Newcastle’s entire sporting project – will determine on Isak’s future and it may require the club to stick to their ‘not for sale’ stance in order to rescue any good will, or risk this becoming one of the worst transfer windows for any team in Premier League history and bringing a screeching halt to their positive momentum.