Newcastle United made a real mess of the 2024 summer transfer window.
The PSR debacle saw Newcastle United lose Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh, while they nearly cashed in on Anthony Gordon.
There was also the failed pursuit of Marc Guehi, with Paul Mitchell failing to make any major signings in his first transfer window after replacing Dan Ashworth as the Magpies’ sporting director.
Newcastle United even had problems before Mitchell arrived, as they aimed to improve Eddie Howe’s goalkeeping options.
Newcastle United tried to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili
At the end of last season, Howe wanted to sign a goalkeeper that could compete with Nick Pope.
The two top targets were Aaron Ramsdale and Giorgi Mamardashvili, with the latter proving to be the favourite for most supporters.
Newcastle’s preference was Mamardashvili, but the belief was that he was too expensive. It was also reported that Newcastle upset Mamardashvili by not guaranteeing him a place in the starting XI.
As talks broke down, the Magpies’ summer transfer plans were unravelling. Missing out on Europe had forced Newcastle United to change their approach, while the looming PSR nightmare was on the horizon.
Toon officials pivoted away from an established name like Mamardashvili and instead targeted a young up-and-comer in James Trafford. Ultimately, that deal collapsed too because of PSR.
All the while, Mamardashvili secured a Premier League move. He joined Liverpool for £29million, before returning to Valencia on loan. He will eventually be Alisson Becker’s replacement at Anfield, which means Newcastle will soon get to see exactly what they could have won.
Newcastle United looking to sign James Trafford
In truth, Newcastle probably already regret missing out on the Georgia international. He is an incredible goalkeeper, and would have arrived last summer as an immediate upgrade on Nick Pope.
That decision now looks like a mistake, with Pope struggling since returning from his latest injury. Toon fans are constantly debating Howe’s current goalkeepers, with supporters eager for a new stopper to arrive in the summer.
That looks set to happen, amid claims that Newcastle are going to sign Trafford from Burnley.
Those claims appear to be premature, but the 22-year-old remains the favourite to arrive at St James’ Park.
While he has a lot of potential, the same goes for Mamardashvili, who is already a top level goalkeeper with a wealth of experience under his belt.
Not signing Mamardashvili was a real transfer blunder by the Magpies, even if it was unavoidable. Not being in Europe dented Newcastle’s plans, while the PSR situation made matters even more complicated.
Newcastle were forced to watch on as they missed out on Mamardashvili.
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