Newcastle United are fully equipped to tackle the January transfer window but once again won't be backed into any corners when it comes to silly demands.
This time last year United were engulfed in a relegation tussle in the Premier League and understandably found it a difficult sell to some of their targets in the transfer market. However, this time around a quick glance at the league table should tell potential recruits everything they need to know - yes, finally Newcastle United are going places.
And if those who will be the subject of interest needed any further evidence that the club is now in good hands under new owners, they need only look to World Cup stars like Kieran Trippier or Bruno Guimaraes to see players who were prepared to take a chance last year with the duo reaping the rewards.
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Once again Newcastle will be going into battle with the top clubs in the Premier League for certain targets along with Europe's elite. Like any top club the Magpies are hardly going to broadcast how much they intend to splash out in the winter window.
But if demands get too steep, like they did with Sevilla's Diego Carlos and Leicester's James Maddison, Newcastle have proved they are more than happy to leave the room and move on to other targets. Unlike last year though, when Eddie Howe pulled together a defacto transfer team to get them through January, the Toon boss has his support network around him.
With sporting director Dan Ashworth behind him and working with head of recruitment Steve Nickson as well as head of technical scouting Andy Howe, the Newcastle head coach is in a great position. It's understood that Newcastle don't have specific positions in mind in this window but are looking to improve across the board.
Scouts have looked at full-backs, midfielders and forwards but Howe is more concerned about bringing in the right characters to his squad. His judgement has not let him down thus far.
Brighton's Leandro Trossard is certainly one that scouts have ran the rule over at the World Cup but there is stiff competition. Ultimately though Newcastle should emerge from the next window ready to push in the second half of the season.
The exact targets of the squad remain firmly in the dressing room but Howe must see there is an opportunity to get Champions League football in the final 23 matches. His biggest problem could be accommodating £63million striker Alexander Isak with Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser all vying for slots in his three-pronged attack.
We'll have to wait and see what next week's trip to Saudi Arabia will bring but last time high level meetings resulted in Howe returning home to the signing of Guimaraes from Lyon. The club announced a huge cash injection earlier this month and said: "The ownership group, comprising PIF, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media, has invested a further £70.4 million of equity into Newcastle United FC. This investment brings the ownership group’s investment to date to over £450 million."
A recent letter to fans from chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan made intentions clear going forward and the statement read: "There is still a long way to go, but each season is a building block towards our objective – to challenge for trophies both domestically and in Europe. The Club we are building is made up of people who understand our long-term vision, and who understand the patience and persistence that it will take to achieve those goals.
"Those values are reflected in the players that we bring to the Club. "Bringing the women’s team into direct ownership of the Club is a part of that plan. Progress won’t always be smooth – but we will always forge ahead.
"You can rest assured that we are all working very hard to drive the Club forward. The support of our fans and the Newcastle community is an incredible motivation for us. It will never be taken for granted."
It's clear that the club are arguably in their best position since either the mid-90s or the early noughties when Sir Bobby Robson revived Newcastle's dreams. One thing is for sure, a new generation of fans are seeing the potential on Tyneside and there's probably never been a better time to be a Toon supporter.
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