Newcastle United have admittedly enjoyed a quiet transfer window by recent standards. After adding nine players and spending north of £200m in 2022, the first transfer window of the new year was always going to be a quieter affair on Tyneside.
12 months ago the Magpies were in desperate need of bodies to stave off relegation, while Eddie Howe wanted top class summer additions at the start of the season to give Newcastle the best chance of improvement this season.
This time around Newcastle find themselves in a more luxurious position. Yes, they are light in some areas but they have managed to reach a League Cup semi-final and third in the Premier League with their current crop of talent.
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Chris Wood's exit spurred Newcastle's transfer machine into life last week, with Anthony Gordon joining as his attacking replacement. Jonjo Shelvey's move to Nottingham Forest has also increased calls for added cover in the middle of the park.
That is the story of Newcastle's January window. Reactive rather than proactive in a sense. Responding to players leaving and trying to replace them rather going out to actively try and find players to improve this overachieving squad.
The reason for this is partly because of what has gone before in the last two windows but also because those working in the boardrooms of St James' Park know a huge summer lies ahead. Newcastle could potentially be playing Champions League football once again. Failing that, there is a good chance the north east outfit are in either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.
If that is the case, another squad overhaul will be needed on Tyneside so Newcastle can add the type of quality needed to compete on multiple fronts. The physical demands of playing twice, sometimes three times, a week will put pressure on the board to ensure Howe has a bulky squad at his disposal.
The recent defeat to Sheffield Wednesday showed Newcastle are still vulnerable when their best players aren't out on the pitch. There is little surprise Howe has stuck to the same group of 12 or 13 players from the outset of late.
Summer spending means big name arrivals will be back on the cards for Newcastle. While this month may have been anti-climatic for some supporters, pre-season will likely have the same feel as last summer when the club bought Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Alexander Isak.
A player at the top of many supporters' wish list is Leicester City star James Maddison. The England international continues to be linked with a move to Newcastle after a deal failed to materialise last summer.
Leicester are reluctant to let Maddison go mid-season, while Newcastle have avoided significant financial outlays this month. Launching a move for the attacking midfielder in the summer remains high on the agenda, Chronicle Live understands.
There will also be the need to add in other areas. Before Miguel Almiron's impressive campaign, there was optimism a new right-sided attacker could be found. There will be more depth added to the defence and another top-tier central midfielder is likely to be on the shopping list so that Newcastle can compete both at home and abroad.
Under this ownership Newcastle fans are used to the chequebook being opened at any given opportunity. But a measured approach this month means the club can attack the summer market when the need for squad improvements is greater.
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