Newcastle United transfer exits graded as capitulation sees Alexander Isak join Liverpool

Newcastle United waved goodbye to eight big-name players in the 2025 summer transfer window, but how good was the business?

The transfer window has finally closed and Newcastle United will no doubt be glad it’s all over.

Although Eddie Howe has seen a humongous £260m spent on his squad following the deadline day arrival of Yoane Wissa, it has been a difficult transfer window.

The summer has been defined by missed targets and the Alexander Isak saga, which reached a disappointing but predictable conclusion on Monday.

Isak’s transfer to Liverpool is the headline departure but far from the only exit Newcastle facilitated in the transfer window.

Here’s how Newcastle’s eight major exits grade.

Newcastle United confirmed signings 2025: Ins, outs, loans and releases in summer transfer window

Lloyd Kelly

Sold to: Juventus
Fee: £20m

Arguably Newcastle’s best piece of business throughout the whole summer, including signings, is getting a £20m fee for Lloyd Kelly.

The Magpies signed Kelly on a free in 2024 and he hardly kicked a ball for the club before heading out on loan to Juventus in January, with the Italians having an obligation to buy him in the summer.

Sean Longstaff

Sold to: Leeds United
Fee: £12m (rising to £15m)

Another healthy transfer sale Newcastle made was selling Sean Longstaff for a fee that could rise as high as £15m.

That’s a healthy return for a bit-part squad player, with the whole fee going down as profit, as Longstaff was a homegrown talent.

However, after Longstaff’s excellent performance for Leeds United against his old side on Monday, and with injuries elsewhere, Newcastle might regret selling a useful midfielder.

Grading: B-

Martin Dubravka

Sold to: Burnley
Fee: £3m

Newcastle only extended Martin Dubravka’s contract in December, yet allowed him to leave to newly-promoted Burnley in the summer.

£3m is a good return for a veteran goalkeeper who wanted to leave for first-team football, and Aaron Ramsdale is certainly an upgrade as a back-up, even if he did cost £4m on loan.

Grading: B

Odysseas Vlachodimos

Loaned to: Sevilla
Fee: loan

‘Which goalkeeper did Newcastle pay £20m for but played for 45 minutes’ will be a great quiz question one day, but Odysseas Vlachodimos won’t be remembered for much else on Tyneside.

It would have been better if Newcastle could have sold the Greek permanently this summer but they’ll have to be content with a season-long loan, for now.

Grading: B-

Callum Wilson

Sold to: West Ham United
Fee: Free (released)

There were no complaints when Newcastle eventually released Callum Wilson, as it seemed Newcastle were primed to kick on and sign players of a significantly higher calibre than the injury-prone striker.

While that eventually came to pass, Newcastle certainly could have used Wilson in the opening three games, as he’s a much better striker than Anthony Gordon or William Osula.

With Wilson already scoring for his new club, West Ham, it might have made sense to keep him for another season after all.

Grading: C+

Matt Targett

Loaned to: Middlesbrough
Fee: Loan

Matt Targett has hardly even played a bit-part role at Newcastle in recent seasons, so his departure was of little surprise.

Yet, the left-back did look decent in pre-season and potentially should have been kept around for additional depth when injuries inevitably pile up in a long campaign.

With his contract expiring in 2026, Targett will likely not play for the club again.

Grading: C

Garang Kuol

Sold to: Sparta Prague
Fee: £500,000

Hopes were high for Garang Kuol but the youngster never reached his potential at the club.

After unsuccessful loan stints in recent years, Kuol joined Sparta Prague on a permanent deal towards the end of the window. A fee of £500,000 is not a bad return and represents a profit.

Grading: B+

Alexander Isak

Sold to: Liverpool
Fee: £125m

The sordid affair has finally come to an end and at least Newcastle United can move on from Alexander Isak with their piggy bank fitting to burst.

Yet, it’s hard not to feel a sense of defeat with the sale, with Newcastle eventually capitulating on their £150m demand and accepting £125m instead.

Yes, a British transfer record for a player who was adamant on not playing for the club is great, but Newcastle still caved from their strong stance at the final hurdle all the same.

That’s simply not how the elite clubs operate and Newcastle don’t have a hope of becoming one until they start acting as such.

Instead, Newcastle have sent a message to all clubs that if you unsettle their players and hold out on a lowball offer, you’ll eventually get the player.

Standing firm this summer and accepting less in January would have been completely fine and sent a much stronger message. Instead, they’ve rung the dinner bell for clubs with interest in Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes.

Grading: D

Opinion