Newcastle’s most expensive signings ever

Blessed with a bottomless pit of cash following their Saudi-backed takeover, Newcastle have seen their spending skyrocket in recent times after years of penny-pinching under Mike Ashley.

The Magpies have spent big but shrewdly and their astuteness in the transfer market has played a key role in their rise under Eddie Howe.

Newcastle will compete in the Champions League for the first time in over 20 years in 2022/23 and the project on Tyneside renders the Magpies an incredibly exciting proposition for the vast majority of players.

It’s no surprise that the vast majority of their top ten most expensive signings have been bought under PIF’s watch.

The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner spent just a season in Madrid before returning to England where he was courted by the two Merseyside clubs and Newcastle. The Magpies, however, were the only interested party willing to match Real’s asking price and, in doing so, smashed their transfer record.

Owen arrived at St James’ Park to much fanfare but his first two seasons at the club were undermined by injuries. He found his feet in years three and four as he scored 17 Premier League goals in 57 appearances, but his time at the club is generally considered underwhelming.

An exciting prospect out of MLS, Almiron arrived midway through the 2018/19 season but the Paraguayan playmaker emerged as a bit of a parody in the Premier League.

While a likeable figure, Almiron struggled to settle at Newcastle and was dismissed by his contemporaries.

Determined to revive his career, Almiron enjoyed a quite remarkable run of form leading up to the 2022 World Cup break during which he scored eight goals in nine games.

He wasn’t able to sustain such productivity for the entire campaign, but that purple patch saw him garner the respect of many.

Willock signed for the club off the back of a quite staggering loan spell in which he scored in seven consecutive Premier League games to round off the 2020/21 campaign.

Newcastle signed him from Arsenal for £25m but his first full season at the club was pretty underwhelming. However, his role in the side was refined by Howe last season and Willock rediscovered his best form.

How big a role he plays moving forward remains to be seen.

From a talent perspective, little suggested Wood was a £25m striker, but Newcastle smartly weakened a relegation rival while ‘strengthening’ their own front line.

The Magpies looked destined for a battle against the drop when they signed Wood in January 2022, but a major resurgence during the second half of the season following Howe’s arrival rendered such fears laughable.

Wood scored five times in 39 games and is now fighting for minutes at Nottingham Forest.

Centre-back was a distinct area of need heading into 2022/23 and Newcastle swiftly acquired their top target in Botman.

The Dutchman had starred at Lille and his first season with the Magpies suggests he could be a cornerstone of the club’s mightily exciting project.

The fundamentally sound defender barely put a foot wrong during his debut campaign.

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While Kieran Tripper was the first signing of the PIF era, Bruno Guimaraes was the man who largely transformed the club’s fortunes.

Sold by the Newcastle project, the Brazilian opted for Tyneside in January 2022 and has had a profound effect on Howe’s side.

The elegant midfielder has been nothing short of revelatory since arriving in the Premier League and has blossomed into the spiritual hub of an emerging Newcastle. The Brazil international is a bona fide star and the £40m fee paid to sign him from Lyon now looks like an absolute bargain.

Steve Bruce signed Joelinton to solve Newcastle’s goalscoring woes heading into the 2019/20 season. However, the Brazilian, and the expectations thrust upon him, only exacerbated such issues.

Joelinton failed to fire in front of goal and initially appeared to be a massive flop before his conversion into a demonic box-to-box midfielder under Howe saw him evolve into a Brazilian international.

The former Hoffenheim forward has turned his career around at St James’ Park and become a beloved figure on Tyneside.

This almost felt like a luxury signing.

Gordon had emerged as one of Everton’s standout performers during times of strife and his development into a player worth £45m was rather rapid.

The England Under-21 international played a bit-part role in his first six months at the club, but his talent suggests he could blossom into a protagonist on Tyneside in the coming years.

The Magpies’ early statement signing of the 2023 summer window slots in as the club’s second most expensive signing ever.

Once tagged the second coming of Andrea Pirlo, it’s become clear that Tonali instead stylistically resembles Roman hero Daniele De Rossi and former Rossoneri brute Gennaro Gattuso.

The Italy international has forged quite the reputation in Serie A and, while some believe Newcastle have overpaid the odds to sign the midfielder, he should be an excellent fit for Howe at St James’.

Newcastle broke their transfer record yet again in the summer of 2022 as they signed the magisterial Isak from Real Sociedad.

The versatile forward’s start to life at the club was frustrating as he endured a lengthy injury layoff after scoring at Anfield, but he returned and quickly showed why he was coveted by so many before signing for the Magpies.

Isak dazzled at times during his debut season and excelled in both a central role and off the left flank. He scored ten Premier League goals and notched the undisputed assist of the season away at Everton.

There’s plenty more to come from the Swede as the bright Champions League lights beckon.