When the transfer window swung open for business on June 10, Eddie Howe had already made one major decision about how things would be at Newcastle United when it came to the club's recruitment drive.
Howe has quietly shaped the agenda at Newcastle and while he is - on paper at least the club's head coach - he has effectively played the role of head of football business since being appointed last November. Having fought through the first few months of the job without a sporting director, Howe knew all about the spending capabilities at Newcastle.
The former AFC Bournemouth boss refused to alter the wage budget for the simple reason he did not want to cause any disharmony behind the scenes with the bulk of the squad that had helped Newcastle stay in the Premier League. He opted against the release of players like Paul Dummett and Sean Longstaff at the end of their contracts, but Howe not only told then he rated their ability, he told them they were a huge part of keeping the team spirit alive around the place.
The same can be said about the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Ritchie, Karl Darlow and Jacob Murphy. Howe feels there is a good foundation at Newcastle and is looking to bring in quality but also ensure they dovetail well with the existing squad.
So unlike Man City, who spent the early part of their Middle East takeover days signing players like Robinho and Carlos Teves, and smashing the wage budget in the process, Howe is keen to change things step by step.
Even stars signed in January like Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier have similar deals to some of the stars that were already on board when they signed. But the summer brief from Howe was also along the lines of "quality not quantity".
That's why, unlike Nottingham Forest, Newcastle haven't gone transfer crazy. It was always the right players and characters at the right price on the right terms.
When Newcastle were essentially asked to pay through the nose for certain deals they left the room in the negotiations. They had already agreed a £15million for Matt Targett from Aston Villa and the button was quickly pushed on the transaction early in June.
Targett said: "For me, it was an easy decision to make the loan permanent after the welcome I had from my fellow players, the staff, the supporters and the owners so I'm really happy to be here."
Nick Pope followed two weeks into the window after a £10million bargain switch from relegated Burnley and the keeper's early presence has been justified with some good performances. Although, it proved to mark the end of the road for Martin Dubravka.
Dubravka told Howe he wouldn't stay if he wasn't number 1 by the end of the window, and so leaves for Manchester United. It leaves Pope vying for the gloves with Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie.
Some fans feel it was a mistake letting Dubravka go so easily while others think Pope is a better fit for what Howe is trying to do. Either way, Pope has justified his early selection.
Pope couldn't wait to get started and said on pre-season: "Nick is an exceptional Premier League and international level goalkeeper so I'm very pleased to be adding strong competition to a very important position."
Then came Sven Botman for £34million - a deal that Newcastle had already done most of the groundwork for in January. Back then they got an idea of his demands and whether he liked the idea of a switch to United.
AC Milan had claimed victory on Botman and the Italian giants were briefing journalists he would be playing in Serie A. But when Milan were told by Lille to put their money where their mouth was, they stuttered and asked for more time to get funding together amid a takeover.
Lille said no, and Newcastle became the only candidates to sign Botman. Yet Botman later stated he was always keen to play in the Premier League.
At the time Botman reflected: "I really wanted to go to Newcastle United in January, because I also heard - and that's a cliche, I know - that such a train doesn't pass by often. It means the very big chances don’t come by that often. To me, Newcastle was a mega opportunity."
The big defender has already shown why Newcastle were determined to get their man. There was then a six week gap between deals as Newcastle attempted to bring in a striker.
They'd already tried and failed on Alexander Isak once but eventually coughed up the initial £58million that Real Sociedad demanded. It was early August when Newcastle, who'd looked closely at a number of forwards, started to ponder going back.
There were bids for Joao Pedro, up to £30million before Watford wanted more, and James Maddison at £50million but Leicester held firm and wanted more. Benfica's Goncalo Ramos was also a genuine target and there were talks with Leeds on Jack Harrison - but United refused to buckle on outlandish financial requests.
Then there was the Anthony Gordon discussions that saw a £35million verbal offer rejected. Gordon was also wanted by Chelsea but the Goodison Park ace has watched on as his value has soared in the window.
But on August 23, Newcastle's head of recruitment Steve Nickson and sporting director Dan Ashworth jetted off to Spain on a private jet determined to ensure Sweden international Isak would be on board for the return leg.
And this time the money was on the table for a deal that would be the most expensive in club history, smashing past the £40million paid for Joelinton. Howe was ecstatic to sign the Euro 2020 star and said: "I want to thank the club's owners and transfer committee for bringing Alexander to Newcastle. We are all delighted to have him on board."
With Isak secured, Howe hinted a couple of days before the window shut that he'd be happy with the business the club had done if the shutters went up early.
Newcastle's rebuild was never just about this window, it dates back to the new regime's transfer haul last January which included the arrivals of Trippier, Bruno, Chris Wood, Dan Burn and Targett. Adding Pope, Botman and Isak to that list has strengthened the spine of the team after a £200million transfer drive in 2022.
The operation has been sensible and Howe and his employers have stayed calm. Howe admitted after the 0-0 draw at Brighton he was looking forward to simply working with the players with transfer business done, he can enjoy that now, and goes into the first half of the season with a squad more than capable of competing in the upper half of the table.
United have been shrewd with their transfer funds this window and brought in value for money along the way. The transfer circus many expected didn't materialise, and Newcastle can now focus on the 13 matches ahead of them before it all starts again for the January window.
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