Newcastle United’s Performance in the 2023/24 Season
Having finished an impressive fourth in the 2022/23 season, Newcastle United dropped down to seventh in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season.
Despite making a strong start to the season with some big wins, poor runs of form in November and December made things difficult for Eddie Howe’s men. With 18 wins, six draws and 14 defeats, the inability to find consistency with their positive results pushed them out of contention for European spots for next season.
Newcastle United qualified for the UEFA Champions League and were drawn into Group F alongside Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. Things went south really quickly as they finished bottom of the group.
The Magpies put in a reasonably good performance in the FA Cup as they made it to the quarter-finals, only losing to eventual finalists Manchester City. They defeated Manchester United on their way to an EFL Cup quarter-final, where they lost to Chelsea on penalties.
Transfer Strategy
Newcastle United’s recent takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) has helped them progress leaps and bounds with their recruitment. They have pumped big money into acquiring top talent from all over the world in the last couple of seasons.
Each season starting from 2021/22, they have onboarded marquee players that have become the backbone of their current team. Bruno Guimaraes arrived from Lyon that year, followed by Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad and Anthony Gordon from Everton the following year.
Newcastle United then spent big on signing Sandro Tonali from AC Milan and Harvey Barnes from Leicester City last season, and also acquired Tino Livramento from Southampton as they look to construct a competitive squad. Now, they just need to smoothen out some rough edges and become better as a unit.
Squad Needs & Areas of Improvement
Goalkeeper
Seeing what happened last season after Nick Pope’s long-term injury, Newcastle’s main priority will be signing another shot stopper. They have already added Nottingham Forest’s Odysseas Vlachodimos but could be in the market for another.
Midfielders
While Bruno Guimaraes plays most of their games, the drop in level when he goes off is quite high and Newcastle United will need to mitigate this issue. Sandro Tonali’s ban will be lifted as well but they could use some cover.
Strikers
Alongside goalkeepers, this seems like the main area Eddie Howe will need to address ahead of the next season. Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are currently the only two options, and with Howe preferring starting them both, they will need one or two good backups to compete.
Newcastle United Transfer Window 2024: Potential Signings & Top Targets
| Newcastle United Transfer Targets | Position | Current Club | Estimated Fee (in EUR millions) |
| Giorgi Mamardashvili | Goalkeeper | Valencia | 35m |
| Filip Jorgensen | Goalkeeper | Villarreal | 20m |
| Fikayo Tomori | Defender | AC Milan | 40m |
| Miodrag Pivas | Midfielder | FK Jedinstvo Ub | 150k |
Giorgi Mamardashvili
The Valencia shot stopper impressed at the ongoing Euro 2024 before Georgia eventually bowed out at the Round of 16 stage. Mamardashvili made 37 appearances last season and conceded 41 goals, and finished fourth in the standings for most clean sheets in LaLiga with 13 to his name. His ability to read long shots as well as to make reflex saves are a highly valued asset in a fast-paced league like the Premier League and the Magpies will be aware of this.
Filip Jorgensen
The Danish shot-stopper joined Villarreal back in January 2023 and had a decent season for them last time around. He made 37 appearances across competitions, conceding 64 goals and keeping six clean sheets in the process. Aged just 22, he could be tempted with the prospect of moving to a club that competes in multiple competitions, giving him the chance to be the number two to Nick Pope.
Fikayo Tomori
Tomori has become an integral part of AC Milan’s squad but a move back to England could tempt him. He made 35 appearances across competitions last season and even chipped in with four goals. A naturally quick, strong and ball-playing defender, bringing him onboard at Newcastle United could be a major coup for Eddie Howe. However, they may have to pay a huge fee.
Miodrag Pivas
Pivas is an up-and-coming Serbian midfielder who has turned heads of top European clubs with his talent. Standing at 6’2, his development is yet to fully start. He made 35 appearances across competitions last season and even scored one goal and assisted two others. Bringing him would ensure Newcastle have the future covered too.
Newcastle United’s Financial Capabilities
While they have made some big purchases over the last few seasons, Newcastle have not come close to breaking even as their sales have been underwhelming to say the least. This means they will have to be careful with their transfer dealings.
Budget Overview
Last season, exactly 15 new players joined the club for a total of €153.20 million expenditure, while 15 players left for a measly €44.60 million income. This left the Magpies with a deficit of €108.60 million as they will look to sell some players before making any big moves.
Financial Fair Play (FFP)
As mentioned above, Newcastle will have to be careful in the market when it comes to making big moves as they could risk being on the wrong side of FFP.
Strategic Spending
To avoid any controversies or charges, Newcastle United will look to sign young players on the cheap, while hoping to sell some first-teamers that no longer have a place in the core group.