Newcastle United has started a number of goals while they want to start from last season, but rejected time and time again in a frustrating summer
To say that Newcastle United has passed a frustrating summer, an understatement would be. Being eligible for the Champions League will often make it easier for a team to convince transfer goals to sign, but that is far from where for the side of Eddie Howe.
Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale have moved to St James' Park, but many other players have chosen to move elsewhere. Not only that, but the top scorer of last season Alexander Isak could continue before the window closes.
“Why can't Newcastle do business?” Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer asked when he spoke with Betfair. “I don't know if it has to do with the fact that they don't have chief executive or sporting director. They have been knowing for months that the Chief Executive was left, so I am quite surprised that there has not been announced yet.
“The sports director now left a few months ago and they knew that, so that is a big surprise that those spaces are not filled. Whether that has something to do with the lack of things from Newcastle and the number of players that NO has said to them, I don't know. It is not a good look.”
There is still time for the club to make up for the lost time, but many goals have already chosen to continue their career elsewhere. Here Mirror Football looks further into who has said no to the magpies.
Dean Huijsen
We start at the start of the window. The Spanish Center-Back Huijsen enjoyed a breakout season with Bournemouth, so that Newcastle and some of their Premier League rivals had to explore a movement.
Unfortunately for them, Real Madrid was also enthusiastic. And that meant that this would be a short saga with an obvious conclusion for a player with an eye on the Spanish World Cup team next summer.
“It's the best day of my life. For me it is a dream to be here, and I'm going to give everything for the team,” the young defender said at his unveiling. “With regard to offers from other teams, for me, Real Madrid is the best club in the world, and there is no other team like this.”
Liam Delap
A new striker would always be high on the Newcastle list, regardless of what is happening with Isak. The club lost Callum Wilson after five years, where the experienced striker later came to West Ham and a younger model was pursued.
Liam Delap was one of those contenders after an impressive season with relegated Ipswich. A release clause of £ 30 million meant that Newcastle would always have rivals for his signature, and Chelsea won the race.
“I understand the status of this club and can see the process that it is with these players and the head coach,” said the English under-21 star of England. “It will be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club to win more trophies.”
Joao Pedro
Here, just like with Delap, the promise of Champions League football was not enough. Chelsea could offer the same thing, together with the Club World Cup football, and the Brazilian chose the blues.
“Everyone knows that this is a big club with a great history,” said the former Brighton star. “They had brilliant players in the past and now have brilliant players. So I am enthusiastic to participate and you know that when you are a Chelsea player, you have to think one thing – win.”
Newcastle may be back in the Champions League, but some may feel that other members of the top five of last season are in better form. Time will learn if they are right.
Mohammed Kudus
Newcastle completed a move for Elanga in mid -July, but only after he had not landed a kudus. The Ghana International had been set up since the beginning of the summer for a move from West Ham and chose Tottenham.
It is easy to see why the former Ajax man was an option, given his ability to play over the front line. But again, it soon became clear that the team of Howe was by the start by the start.
“The most important part of the reason why I came here is the project and how the manager sees that I can develop among him,” Kudus said at the joining of Thomas Frank. “Where he comes from and the amount of talent he has developed to see great players, it is a big sign why I also wanted to work among him.”
Bryan Mbeumo
Versatile attackers were clearly the order of the day this summer, and you can hardly accuse Newcastle that you are not focused. The issue for them is not convincing so many of those goals that St James' Park is the place for them.
Mbeumo was also looked at by Spurs and Manchester United when it became clear that he would leave Brentford. The former teammate Yoane Wissa of the Cameroon star could still end the window as a Newcastle player, but Mbeumo himself moved to Old Trafford – and said that it was always part of the plan.
“From the start I wanted to become a member of this huge club,” he said. “Now I'm here, I'm just very happy. For me it's the biggest club in the world. The fans are crazy, the stadium is great and every player wants to play here.”
Hugo Ekitike
When it seemed for the first time as if Isak could join Liverpool, Newcastle got their interest in the French frontman Ekitike. But now we could end the summer with Ekitike and Isak in Anfield.
The former PSG frontman struggled to take a look with Les Parisiens, but flourished the last term at Eintracht Frankfurt. Newcastle was ready to break the bank, but in the end it was Liverpool who won the race for the star of £ 69 million.
“I dreamed to come and play in the Premier League. And to play for Liverpool is a big, great feeling for me,” Ekitike said after he came to the champions. “I just can't wait to play games and win trophies.”
James Trafford
Summer started with some uncertainty about the starting keeper of Newcastle after Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope had shared the last term. Trafford seemed intended for a long time for moving to the northeast, but there was a problem.
The 22-year-old Cumbrian was fresh from the promotion to the top flight with Burnley, but felt that he had unfinished things in the former club Manchester City. As soon as City activated a back-back clause, there was only one possible result.
“I always dreamed that one day I would be able to come back to Manchester City,” said Trafford on his return. “This is the place I call at home – it's a really special football club with fantastic people who make it such a unique place to work and play.”
Benjamin Sesko
If you thought the approaching start of the season could put an end to the disappointment of Newcastle, it's time to guess again. Sesko became a realistic target when Arsenal turned to Viktor Gyokeres, but there was another potential freer.
This time Manchester United is once again in the way the Magpies. Ruben Amorim's side may not be able to offer European football, but that does not seem to matter.
Both clubs have offered enough to seduce RB Leipzig to cash in the Slovenian star – somewhere in the £ 70 million region – but we expect Sesko to announce earlier instead of later that Old Trafford is his preference.