It was, perhaps expectedly, a highly disappointing transfer deadline day for Newcastle United.
The club did actually make one signing – Santiago Munoz coming in on loan from Santos Laguna.
The 19-year-old Mexican caught the eye of the club’s head of recruitment Steve Nickson.
But he will go straight into the academy, so his incoming does not help Steve Bruce.
One man who was heavily linked with a deadline day switch to St. James’ park was Hamza Choudhury.
The move was on, then off, then back on again, but ultimately the 23-year-old didn’t end up joining on loan for the second transfer window running.
The Chronicle have reported it was actually Newcastle who pulled the plug in the end.
Bruce wanted him in, but the publication claim that with no prospect of freeing up a space in the squad, the Magpies ultimately didn’t see it as viable.
It means that the club’s only first-team addition all summer is Joe Willock, who spent the second half of last season on loan at St. James’.
A farce
Choudhury is by no means a world-beater, and not everybody would have liked the signing.
But at that point, it was about getting options in.
Newcastle needed to make that move happen and they haven’t.
They now proceed with some fairly average options, and Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey’s injury records are not encouraging.
If Newcastle’s Premier League squad sheet ends up showing four goalkeepers as expected, it really will be farcical.
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