Newcastle United are enjoying a meteoric rise both on and off the pitch, while Manchester United struggle in every department.
This season, the Magpies finally ended a 70-year wait for a major trophy when they lifted the Carabao Cup at Wembley Stadium. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan promised Newcastle fans more trophies, and it is hard not to believe him based on how far the club has come since the takeover in 2021.
Newcastle United were down and out with Steve Bruce as manager. In a slump and 19th in the table, Bruce was sacked in favour of Eddie Howe, who has transformed a team that looked set for relegation to one that consistently challenges for European football.
For historic rivals Manchester United, they have also seen a big period of change in the last 12 months. Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought a stake in the club and has adopted a very cutthroat approach with the staff, some of whom had been there for decades.
Results on the pitch have also been poor, with the Red Devils shockingly in 13th place after 31 games. Ruben Amorim will experiment ahead of Man United’s visit to St James’ Park, but it could be too little, too late to get their season back on track.
Recruitment at Old Trafford has also been a big talking point, with hundreds of millions being spent on players who are not up to scratch to play at the highest level on a weekly basis. While their slump continues, we hear from a Man United expert who says what all fans think.
Man United expert shares disdain for Newcastle’s recruitment
Newcastle have made some sensational signings since the takeover in 2021, with the PIF happy to break the bank and set a new record transfer fee for Alexander Isak in 2022.
Those players were brought in by Newcastle’s former sporting director Dan Ashworth. The 54-year-old was praised for his work at the time, but things all fell apart when Ashworth left Newcastle for Man United.
However, Ashworth was sacked by Man United just five months into his reign after a slew of bad decisions, including keeping Erik ten Hag on as head coach despite his poor season, which was only saved by their last-gasp FA Cup win.
Reflecting on Newcastle’s recruitment under Ashworth ahead of Sunday’s game, United in Focus writer Sean Fisher told Geordie Boot Boys: “Recruitment at Manchester United over the last decade has been nothing short of terrible, and there is a jealousy growing in the fanbase about how Newcastle are operating in the transfer window.
“That’s the exact reason why Dan Ashworth was poached by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. He boasted an incredible reputation as a sporting director and at St James’ Park he was responsible for bringing in the likes of Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak.
“Since Newcastle’s takeover in 2021, they have landed hit after hit in the transfer market and it has been the polar opposite at Old Trafford.
“Newcastle are now reaping the reward of good recruitment and are chasing Champions League qualification, while Manchester United are left wondering how to fix the mess they have gotten themselves into.”
Ashworth spent a combined £118m on Isak and Sandro Tonali, the former could recoup that entire transfer fee and more if he were to leave Newcastle this summer. A report in February suggested Newcastle would sell Isak for over £120m, a fee which has been deemed ‘impausible’.
Man United set to beat Newcastle to £62.5m transfer
Both teams are eager to improve their starting XIs this summer, but for different reasons. Man United are barely in the running for Europe and will be in need of star power to get them back up into the top four spots next season.
As for Newcastle, they will be looking for established players who can help them in their return to European football. The Magpies are currently fifth in the Premier League table, which will be enough for Champions League football next season.
Newcastle want Matheus Cunha, who has a release clause of £62.5m. Wolves expect the Brazilian to leave this summer after he revealed that he is ready to take the next step in his career.
Bruno Guimaraes could convince Cunha to join Newcastle, but Man United are believed to be in a better position to land him.
A new transfer report claimed that Cunha wants to join Man United over Newcastle, claiming that he wants to play for an established ‘big-six’ club rather than one that is on their way up.
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