It has to be said that when Rafa Benitez left Newcastle at the end of May, it looked as if the Magpies were set for a long hard season. However, for some bizarre reason, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has actually backed new boss Steve Bruce in the transfer market.
Where was this sort of backing for the Spaniard? Or was Benitez offered the backing and the former Liverpool boss believed it was not enough to strengthen his squad.
New signings look promising
Newcastle have strengthened their squad with the signings of Joelinton, Jetro Willems and Allan Saint-Maximin. The three players all look to have promise. Joelinton impressed in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim before making a big-money move to the north east. He was not exactly prolific, but at 22, he will improve and could be a big player for the Magpies in the future.
Saint-Maximin heads to the north east with a big reputation. The 22-year-old winger cost the Magpies £16.5million when he moved from Nice earlier this week. He had previously been linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Everton. He will add pace and unpredictability to the Magpies attack.
Willems was once one of the brightest young starlets in the game. However, at 25-years-old he has lost his way slightly. The full-back has joined the Magpies on loan for the season from German club Eintracht Frankfurt. Maybe he will be able to re-ignite his career in the English top-flight.
The squad is still weak
Newcastle have been just one of the many top-flight clubs to have strengthened their squads this summer. However, in reality, they still have a weak squad. The loss of Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon in the summer was massive. The pair were the team’s top scorers and best attacking players last season.
Joelinton and Saint-Maximin will fill the holes left by the pair’s departures. However, they may need time to adjust to the new country and league. There is no guarantee that the pair will be successful. However, Newcastle are in a position where they have to gamble with new signings.
Bruce needs to add more quality before the summer transfer window shuts on Thursday evening. Judging by recent activity at the club, owner Ashley might even sanction more signing before the transfer deadline.
Newcastle may have just enough to avoid the drop
It seems that Newcastle may just about have enough quality available to stay clear of the relegation zone. The Magpies are not one of the favourites to suffer relegation. However, if they make a poor start to the campaign, they could endure a difficult campaign in the English top-flight.
The new signings are at least a sign that owner Ashley has not completely given up on the Magpies yet. Maybe it is just looking after his investment. Either way, the Newcastle squad is stronger now than they were a few weeks ago, which is at least a positive. The atmosphere amongst the fans now also seems less volatile, for now anyway.
Can Newcastle avoid a relegation fight this summer?
