Newcastle United see transfer tears as £30m moves unlock exciting future plans

Set your watches. It’s only 128 days until the summer transfer window opens and we get to do this all over again.

The winter trading period proved to be very much one-way traffic for Newcastle United, with outgoings being preferred to incomings as key squad players were sold and youngsters loaned out.

Profit and sustainability rules [PSR] continue to sting, the investment of the 2022 and 2023 summer windows continues to bite and ‘business logic’ continues to trump ‘footballing logic’ in the words of Eddie Howe himself.

As such, it proved to be a month of frustration for Newcastle – but just how did it unfold?

The need for ‘short-term’ pain

You can’t say Eddie Howe hasn’t stuck to his guns. The Newcastle boss has never once wavered in recent weeks when explaining that while he was keeping an open mind and opting for a ‘never say never’ mantra about potential incomings, the likelihood was that the north east outfit would not be active in January.

His stance on outgoings wasn’t as clear, with the boss hinting that despite not being overly keen on seeing his squad trimmed further, some deals may prove too good to turn down.

“I will make this clear – no-one wants to lose any players from our current squad, especially in positions where we are a little bit fragile. Why would we want to leave ourselves in that position? But when you’re armed with all the facts, sometimes you have to take that short-term pain,” Howe said a few weeks ago.

The facts, when it comes to incomings, remain that Newcastle remain burdened by previous windows. The big-money moves for Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and the like, at a time where revenue streams were not what they are now, were always going to come back and haunt the club, financially, if the books were not balanced.

The publicised interest of Marc Guehi has muddied the waters, for many fans, too. Sections of the St James’ Park faithful believe Newcastle have money to spend and they are simply choosing not to. Instead, it is the case that had the Crystal Palace defender arrived last summer, bigger exits than Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly would have been needed to avoid PSR punishments.

Yet that has not stopped Newcastle testing the waters for some top talent on the continent. The Magpies made their interest clear when it came to Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov last month but found themselves unable to finance a deal for the exciting Uzbek star, 20, who ultimately is now settling in at new club Manchester City.

Other than that, there has been significant focus on summer deals and bolstering the club’s youth setup further, with the likes of Malaga youngster Antonio Cordero and Genclerbirligi teenager Baran Yildiz both admired by Newcastle.

Teary goodbyes before big U-turns

One of the biggest Newcastle transfer stories of the month revolves around a player who ended up remaining at St James’ Park after all. Just six weeks ago, had someone told you there would be wholesale clamour for Martin Dubravka to stay on Tyneside beyond January, would you have believed them?

Well, there was very much was an internal battle to keep the stand-in No1, who looked destined to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab for one last, lucrative challenge at the grand old age of 36. As Dubravka left the field in the aftermath of a heroic performance at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the month, there was a teary wave to the packed away end after Dan Burn pushed him forward to soak in the away end applause for one time.

Howe had different ideas. His quotes after the Arsenal clash provided a hefty dose of deja vu and sparked familiar fears of a difference of opinion between the Newcastle manager and sporting director Paul Mitchell. “He is playing very well at the moment and certainly from my side I would not want to lose him at all,” he told reporters.

However, just days later, those short-lived concerns of internal disagreements were put to bed. A decision was made, all parties on the same page, Dubravka staying put just as Howe wanted.

This, despite the Slovakian stopper initially being keen to make the Saudi move – even if he never went as far as officially telling Howe he wanted to leave. It is understandable, given that just days before his 36th birthday, he had been presented with a life-changing offer that would have transformed both his and his family’s life.

The family, with their dogs, were therefore preparing to jet back to Slovakia with their belongings before arriving in Riyadh. Instead, negotiations have taken place that will see Dubravka receive a pay increase at Newcastle in lieu of Saudi riches. Whether the player stays beyond the window remains to be seen with his contract expiring in the summer.



Newcastle United see transfer tears as £30m moves unlock exciting future plans
Martin Dubravka of Newcastle United celebrates after the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg

More teary goodbyes but no late surprises this time

Dubravka wasn’t the only long-serving Newcastle star to endure emotional scenes as his time on Tyneside looked to be coming to an end. This time around the emotions involved Miguel Almiron as the Paraguayan left in a deal that suited all parties.

The winger has had countless chances to leave Newcastle in recent years. After interest in his services 12 months ago and an attractive proposal on the table from Saudi Arabia in the summer, Almiron had remained against all odds, with Howe championing him at every turn.

This time around, both men in question knew it was time to go. After just one Premier League start since March 2024 and a noticeable drop in appearances from the bench, an offer of £10m was not to be turned down.

From a personal standpoint, a move back to Atlanta United is arguably the most ideal option for a player who ultimately wanted to stay in Europe but is seen as a legend at his former stomping ground – the Mercedes Benz Stadium.

That does not mean it was an easy goodbye for Almiron as teary farewells – actual ones this time – were dished out at the club’s Benton base. The 30-year-old, his partner Alexia and their young son, Francesco, were then boarding a flight back to the United States soon after – six years after making the journey – as a couple and not a trio – the other way for the first time.

What awaited Almiron as he stepped off the flight in Georgia will have been unbelievably reassuring for a player who has faced more criticism than most during recent years. Dozens of cheering fans, holding banners and wearing ‘Almiron 10’ jerseys, stopped the player for photos as he made his way through Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

Hand-written ‘welcome home’ signs were hung over intersection street signs, merchandise sales have gone through the roof and Atlanta’s top brass are very pleased with themselves.

Speaking at Miggy’s second unveiling, Atlanta United president & CEO, Garth Lagerwey, this week said: “One of the first things Chris [Henderson, sporting director] said when we hired him in December was: ‘We have to go sign Miguel.’

Miggy’s words at the same unveiling? – “I feel like I’m home.”

A late twist and plenty of profit

Just a few days ago Howe insisted he felt like Newcastle’s business – in and out – was complete. “As we stand now, currently I don’t [see anymore leaving] – but things can change. As we stand at the moment, I expect the squad to remain the same,” the boss said before the weekend defeat to Fulham.

However, just hours after the 2-1 reversal at home to Marco Silva’s side, news began to emerge that Lloyd Kelly would in fact be departing before the winter deadline arrived. Newcastle’s fourth-choice centre-back was the man chosen to end Juventus’ frantic scramble for defensive reinforcements.

The Italian side inexplicably sold the incredible Dean Huijsen, 19, to Bournemouth for £12.8m in the summer and now find themselves replacing the man who replaced Kelly at the Cherries… with Kelly himself (are you still with me) – only for more money….

£20m is the overall figure Juventus are expected to part with once the 26-year-old’s transfer becomes permanent in the summer. Thiago Motta’s side have an obligation to buy Kelly outright after his initial loan spell ends.

Newcastle, in turn, will receive a few million now and a lump sum in the summer, with add-ons and bonuses taking the total figure to £20m. Not bad for a player signed for free six months ago.

Kelly featured just 14 times for Newcastle after arriving to much fanfare in the summer. There was an initial expectation he would be Fabian Schar’s partner until Sven Botman returned from injury but Dan Burn and his incredible form have got in the way of those particular plans.

Instead, Howe’s side are now making pure profit on a defender who was not likely to enjoy much game time – either at centre-back or left-back – between now and the end of the season. Kelly was also on a significant salary at St James’ Park, with the Magpies now enjoying more headroom with their wage bill.

Kelly was open to the move, having held prior talks with Juventus while still at Bournemouth. The Italian side impressed the experienced Premier League star in this round of negotiations and a deal was completed – after a minor worry over paperwork – late on Monday.

Bringing in £30m for Kelly and Almiron combined – two fringe players – represents really solid business; the type Newcastle need to get better at. It will also boost the club’s coffers come the summer.



Juventus new signing Lloyd Kelly arrives for medical tests in Turin, Italy

Exciting youth prospects shipped out

January is often a good month to get some first-team minutes into your budding youth talent and Newcastle wasted no time shipping three off in quick succession.

Norwegian talent Travis Hernes returned closer to home with a move to Danish side Aalborg, Charlie McArthur linked up with former Newcastle defender Mike Williamson at Carlisle and Ian Evatt signed Alex Murphy at Bolton Wanderers. Since then, both Williamson and Evatt have been relieved of their duties…

There was also an emotional exit for Jamie Miley, who really could be playing at a higher level than the National League after signing for Hartlepool United. However, the chance of first-team minutes and being close to home helped make his decision a lot easier.

Miley, the older brother of first-team star Lewis, impressed Howe in the summer both abroad and at home, making his St James’ Park debut in the Sela Cup. However, with six months left on his deal, it was an exit that made sense, again, for all parties.

Howe has remained consistent with his stance that Trevan Sanusi would not be loaned out. The 17-year-old is working on becoming more physical behind the scenes on Tyneside and staff want him to stay at Newcastle until he is a little older. The winger may also have a bit-part role to play in the first-team between now and the end of the season after a failure to replace Almiron on the right of Howe’s attack.

As for other youngsters of note, both Garang Kuol and Alfie Harrison were linked with temporary moves away but the pair will remain with Diarmuid O’Carroll’s under-21 side until the end of the season.

View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-see-transfer-tears-30928716

Scroll to Top