Newcastle United have tried and failed to make a major signing on transfer deadline day.
Initially, the plan was for Newcastle United to sign Marc Guehi for a club record fee. Paul Mitchell was hoping to make the 24-year-old Newcastle’s most expensive signing ever, with a deal worth more than £65million.
However, Newcastle’s plan failed. They were unable to agree a fee with Crystal Palace, and Guehi is remaining at Selhurst Park.
Guehi is disappointed about not joining Newcastle, while Toon fans are frustrated to see the deal collapse after trying to sign him for weeks.
Newcastle pivot to Anthony Elanga
With the Guehi deal off the table, the Magpies turned their attention towards signing a winger.
However, Newcastle’s approach for Anthony Elanga was turned down.
A £35million deal was discussed with Nottingham Forest, while it has been suggested that Elanga was keen to join Newcastle.
But that deal is not taking place either, with Newcastle’s summer transfer window ending with no major arrivals.
Pundit says Elanga deal was ‘impossible’ for Newcastle
The late attempt to bring in Elanga was exciting, only for that dream to be swiftly shattered.
And former Premier League defender Curtis Davies has told Sky Sports News (6:27pm) that Newcastle were trying to do the ‘impossible’ by bidding for Elanga.
“The fact that they are not going to get Guehi, they might have found that pocket of money that is available to actually go out and spend it,” he said.
“But I also think it could be a tactic to almost upset him a little bit.
“They could revisit it in January because at this stage, a club like Nottingham Forest want to stay in this league, first and foremost. To take one of their most important players, probably their most important player alongside Gibbs-White for me, at this stage of the window, and, as we said, if they are not going to send them a player back as well, it’s impossible.
“£35million is good money, of course, but for Premier League clubs nowadays to lose one of your best players on deadline day for that, I think you would have to go probably £50million, £60million if you are going to try to get him out today.”
Paying £60m for Elanga would have been a panic buy
Davies makes a good point about Newcastle’s pursuit of Elanga.
Given how important he is to Nottingham Forest and how late in the day it was, he probably would have cost almost double what Newcastle were offering.
Had Newcastle gone to the £60million that Davies suggested to get Elanga, it would have been viewed as a major mistake. While the 22-year-old is a talented winger and a player that Eddie Howe likes, that would have been a massive overspend.
Heading into deadline day, the one thing Newcastle had to avoid was panicking. They have done that, but it is resulting in the club not strengthening.
However, some will argue that even trying to sign Elanga was a panic move. It was fanciful to think Forest were going to sell such a good player within the final hours of the transfer window without having a proper replacement lined up.
Frustratingly, Newcastle may have been able to get Elanga had they gone for him sooner. But that was not possible, as the Magpies were trying to sign Guehi until the penultimate day of the transfer window.
While PSR has continued to be an issue, Newcastle United have made a real mess of their summer transfer window.
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