Liverpool have reportedly abandoned the idea of signing Jude Bellingham this summer despite being favourites for his signature; with them out of the way Newcastle United should fill that void and go in for the England star.
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool are refocusing their transfer efforts this summer as they don’t feel spending over £100million on one player would be the best way of repairing their squad after such a dismal season.
While I can agree that splashing in excess of £100million on one player when you’re looking to add depth to the squad isn’t the way to go, signing a player like Jude Bellingham would be such a huge statement by Newcastle that it could shake up the entire world of football.
Bellingham could generate revenue for the club offsetting the FFP risk
Newcastle are extremely wary of the Financial Fair Play rules so are unlikely to be looking at such a statement signing so early into the project as it would drastically impact their future plans.
However, to look at it another way, Newcastle’s only real chance of signing Bellingham would be if they qualify for the Champions League this season, which is looking very possible. That would mean the club can look at higher-calibre transfer targets.
Not only will playing in the Champions League have a positive impact on the club financially, it will also increase the club’s exposure and thus in turn generate more income. That significantly reduces the risk of breaching FFP.
Furthermore, a signing like Bellingham would have a huge impact on shirt sales, again generating more revenue for the club. So while it may be a big outlay initially, Newcastle could realistically recoup a sizeable chunk of that back from merchandise and brand deals that come along with a statements signing.
Could Newcastle wait until next summer to make a move?
Obviously I’m no financial expert so I’m sure there’s a lot more to signing a £100million+ player than what I’m making it out to be, but as far as calculated risks go, this one has to be worth a punt, surely? We’d get one of the best players in the world at a young age, we could tie him down to a long contract, promise him pretty much anything he wants.
If Newcastle were to go for Bellingham it would send such a big message to all of our rivals, making a move for a ‘world class‘ player so soon into the PIF‘s project. It would back up everything the club’s hierarchy have been saying about their ambition.
Do I think it will happen? Not likely, unfortunately. With the best will in the world, it’s simply too big a risk right now. Like Liverpool, we need more players to add to the ranks, we can’t afford to blow our stack on just one player.
That doesn’t mean it’s dead in the water though, as Bellingham is still only 19 and has a lot of time to make his next move. He may choose to stay in Dortmund for another year while he decides on where would be best for him to go next. In which case, Newcastle could try again next summer when it’s more likely that we will spend big if we repeat, or even better, this season’s Premier League heroics.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
