Frank McAvennie refuses to believe that Newcastle don’t have the money to sign a ‘quality’ defender in the remaining week of the transfer window.
Instead, the former Celtic striker told Football Insider that owner Mike Ashley ‘just won’t hand [the funds] out’.
The lowdown
Newcastle have made just one signing so far this summer, bringing in Joe Willock – the player Steve Bruce described as his “number one target” off the back of a successful loan spell – for a fee in excess of £20m (via BBC Sport).
However, Transfermarkt figures show that they’ve yet to generate a penny through sales, with the likes of Yoshinori Muto and Christian Atsu departing on a free transfers.
On Monday, The Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards reported that further incomings seem ‘unlikely’ at St James’ Park, in part because ‘they have basically spent [their] budget on Willock’.
The latest
However, McAvennie is adamant that another £20m addition simply “has to be possible” for a club of Newcastle’s stature, and he likened the management of the club at present to a “circus”.
He told Football Insider: “You can’t tell me Newcastle don’t have the money to make a top signing. Look at Varane at Man United, he cost nothing for a player of his quality.
“Obviously Newcastle can’t get him but the money has to be there, Ashley just won’t hand it out. £20million or so for a quality defender, that has to be possible for Newcastle, it’s a huge club.
“It’s being run like a circus. They are talking about loans or free transfers, this is a Premier League club. I just don’t get it.”
The verdict
A large part of the reason Ashley might be shying away from further investment is that he wants to sell the club. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire put it best when he said: “If you were selling your house, would you do up the kitchen first?” (via The Athletic)
Clearly, the key is to keep that ‘house’ in the Premier League so that it retains its value for prospective buyers. Ultimately Newcastle should have enough to survive in the top flight, but you can understand why supporters might be yearning for more ambition after finishing either 12th or 13th in the last three seasons.
In other news, if Newcastle are to make another signing, could this be it?