With Newcastle United now competing at the top of the Premier League, it seems safe to say the same will be done with players.
Given just how well Eddie Howe’s team are playing at the moment, there’s only a small pool of players who can come in to improve them. Add in the fact the Premier League far outweighs any other division financially in Europe and that pool narrows.
Indeed, with the club now having the money and the ambition to move for leading stars, the competition for them only grows.
That is the case with Declan Rice. Linked with a move to St James’ Park, the 24-year-old is widely expected to leave West Ham this summer.
Arsenal have also strongly been linked with a move for the England international, who will be in an awful lot of demand this summer.
Andy Carroll backs Declan Rice for a move to Arsenal
Now, a former Newcastle player has advised Rice to go elsewhere.
Speaking to The Metro, Carroll said: “We all know he needs to go to a top club. I can’t see him going outside of England, but he should go to a top-three or top-two club.
“I’d like to see Declan at Arsenal to be honest – I’m not an Arsenal fan but I like the way they’re playing at the minute.
“The way Mikel Arteta has them playing and the young lads coming through – you see the team and the average age is incredible.”
A summer too early for Newcastle
It would be churlish to suggest Rice would not be a good signing this summer just because Newcastle are unlikely to get him.
Few would doubt he would be a brilliant addition but, at this relatively early stage of the PIF era, the likes of Arsenal are perhaps more compelling a destination right now.
Potential Premier League winners, that’s just a fact of life at the moment.
Still, we could perhaps do with Carroll talking us up…
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
