Newcastle United chiefs are calm and composed when it comes to early business in this summer's transfer window.
United fans have watched on as Tottenham Hotspur swooped for James Maddison last week and Liverpool closed in on Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. However, while both players were on Newcastle's shortlist neither player was seen as a 'be-all and end-all' signing with other exciting targets on Eddie Howe's wish-list.
Having put the groundwork in on midfielder Sandro Tonali and landing Gambian winger Yankuba Minteh earlier in the window, Newcastle's recruitment team are happy with business so far. But the feeling from within is that there is more business to follow in the coming weeks and months.
Work has already started on nailing down targets for the next couple of windows before this summer's trading period has even finished too. Newcastle feel there are plenty of options in the remainder of the window in which a new striker, centre-back and full-back can be added to an already impressive squad.
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Ideally, Howe would like at least a couple of new players on board for the start of pre-season training but Newcastle are carefully plotting their way through business. Sporting director Dan Ashworth and head of recruitment Steve Nickson are essentially on standby.
Indeed, the duo were quickly jetted out to Italy and then Romania to tie up the Tonali deal with AC Milan. Given Milan are tough sellers, the transfer was impressively closed off last week.
The big sign from both of the windows that Ashworth has overseen so far is that he is prepared to go to the door of selling clubs to make things happen. Before the Saudi-backed takeover on Tyneside, the club were often frustrated as Mike Ashley was happy for staff to try to conduct business remotely - often ending in frustration.
But the belief at Newcastle in this window is that Howe and his backroom team will have a squad more than capable of kicking on for the 2023/24 season. Despite what have been perceived as a couple of blows, Newcastle feel that they will get deals done in good time.
