Newcastle United’s recruitment since the takeover has been nothing short of exemplary.
The PIF era at the club has so far not been defined by superstar signings for the sake of it, as many would have predicted following the change of ownership in October 2021.
Indeed, it appears as if the incomings have arrived under an umbrella of joined-up thinking, with pretty much all of them hitting the ground running.
Clearly, having the money to bring in such players has helped Eddie Howe as Newcastle prepare for life back in the Champions League. Still, it’s not solely about that.
The way in which they’ve made instant impacts, dragging the level of the rest of the team up, has been fantastic to watch.
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So much so that Alan Shearer personally thanked Howe.
Alan Shearer personally thanks Eddie Howe for three Newcastle signings
Having watched the Magpies return to Europe’s elite club competition on Monday night, the club legend was in obvious delight.
Straight after the full-time whistle, Shearer’s personal letter to Howe was released by The Athletic.
In the piece, the Newcastle legend writes: “Thank you for not going down that well-trodden route of instant gratification.
“Thank you for giving us Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak, quality players we were intrigued by but who were hardly household names.
“Thank you for those gorgeous shimmies and soft, weighted touches and a promise of the Newcastle to come.”
Little to suggest Newcastle’s buying policy will change
Howe has already moved to shoot down the idea that Newcastle would soon be moving for the likes of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Given the quick-fire success of their buying policy thus far, it’s difficult to imagine the club being in a rush to stray too far from what they’ve done so well in the past.
Though the extra games in the calendar means Newcastle will need a bigger squad, their success so far has been built on signing younger players able to both hit the ground running and with the potential to grow.
While easier said than done to keep getting that right of course, there’s little to suggest the club will be straying too far from that this summer.