There are only a few days until the 2023 summer transfer window opens for business, and it's almost certain that it will be a busy period for Newcastle United.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) will need to back Eddie Howe and his recruitment team to the hilt again if they want to see any chance of more progression in a 2023/24 campaign that will include a tilt at the Champions League too.
The difficulty for Howe will be to get the balance just right and to ensure that the majority of his squad are fresh for when the games start coming thick and fast, particularly if they're still in the latter stages of the Champions League and the domestic cup competitions.
The flip side of needing a certain amount of players and who are at a certain level is that not every target will be available or at the right price, so having alternatives as well as purchasing players for the future is a strategy that the club could successfully adopt.
Their first signing of the summer could well fall into the latter category too, The Shields Gazette noting that a fee has been agreed with Odense for their talented young winger, Yankuba Minteh.
The outlet note that the deal will come in at around the £5.8m mark, and that the 18-year-old will be loaned out to gain some credible experience next season.
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