Newcastle United have, at times, puzzled the footballing world with their activity in the transfer market. The Mike Ashley era conjured up a few corker signings that looked destined for failure from the moment the announcement was made.
Fans hope the new regime can learn from the mistakes of yesteryear as they aim to propel the Magpies up the Premier League. There can be few complaints since the Saudi-backed takeover was completed about transfer dealings so far, with more new arrivals expected before the summer window closes on January 1.
READ MORE: Newcastle United notebook: Howe's hint at shopping plans, Anderson chance and Mainz 05 respond
For old times’ sake, ChronicleLive pieced together 10 of the most bizarre signings Newcastle have made in recent years. Did you forget any of these wore black-and-white stripes?
Sol Campbell
Had Newcastle poached the former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal defender, who won two Premier League titles and reached the Champions League final, signing Campbell would have been a no-brainer. However, the washed-up version United brought to St James’ Park in 2010 was clearly past his best.
Notts County had already chewed up and spat out the then 35-year-old when Newcastle offered him a one-year deal. After eight appearances, Campbell was released and never played for another club again.
Shefki Kuqi
To add insult to injury, Campbell was not the only has-been Newcastle signed that season. Andy Carroll’s deadline-day sale to Liverpool in January 2011 meant Alan Pardew desperately needed a new backup striker.
Kuqi was the man, arriving 10 days later on a free transfer to plug the gap having been without a club for over a year. At 34-years-old, he was never going to be the long-term solution. Six substitute appearances later and the “Flying Finn” was already looking for another employer.
Ian Rush
What is it with Newcastle and signing past-their-prime players? Rush is one of Liverpool’s greatest ever goalscorers but, somehow, Kenny Dalglish - who features heavily on this list later on - thought he could replicate those feats at 36-years-old.
Zero league goals in 10 outings tells you everything there is to know.
Seydou Doumbia
Younger Newcastle supporters will recognise Doumbia as he possessed electrifying pace on the FIFA video game series. Well, he must be extraordinarily quick as Toon fans struggled to see him during his brief loan stint.
Just three substitute appearances and no goals makes Doumbia one of Tyneside’s great enigmas.
Ignacio Gonzales
His arrival was arguably the most important of the entire Ashley era - for all the wrong reasons. Dennis Wise offloaded James Milner above Kevin Keegan’s head and replaced him with Gonzales - who he had only ever seen on YouTube.
This was the star that broke the camel’s back as the Messiah left, Newcastle fans’ relationship with Ashley became unrepairable and the club was relegated at the end of the season.
Facundo Ferreyra
Has anybody seen Ferreyra? Seriously? Sceptical supporters questioned whether Ferreyra was a real player as he failed to play a single minute during a season-long loan. Conspiracy theories began to emerge, with some believing he was signed to appease an agent and others suggesting he was only there as Fabricio Coloccini’s mate.
Whatever the reason, it simply did not work out.
Romain Amalfitano
Newcastle must have seen Morgan Amalfitano, Romain’s brother who starred as a box-to-box midfielder for Marseille, and thought ‘oh, I bet his sibling is good!’
Like Ferreyra, Amalfitano did not make a single domestic appearance - although he did feature sporadically in the 2012-13 Europa League campaign.
Xisco
Xisco arrived on big wages, a lengthy contract and for an inflated transfer fee. Signed alongside Gonzales, the Spaniard’s arrival also contributed to Keegan’s downfall at St James’ Park.
Despite scoring on his debut, Xisco was rarely seen again and finally left the club in 2013 - five years after his initial transfer.
Paul Dalglish
Dalglish Jnr did manage to score against Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup and Sheffield Wednesday in the league, but he was out of his depth at Newcastle United.
Stephen Ireland
Would you sign an injured player on a four-month loan? That is exactly what Newcastle did in January 2011. Ireland was injured when he arrived, injured throughout his spell and injured when he left prematurely.
Just 49 minutes of football turned an intriguing signing into a nightmare one. His career never really covered after the Tyneside debacle.
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