Gary Neville critiques Newcastle's transfer blunders this summer

Gary Neville criticized Newcastle's transfer strategy after the club's unsuccessful pursuit of Marc Guehi, an England defender, during the summer transfer window. Newcastle made a club record offer of £65 million, plus £5 million in add-ons, but failed to reach an agreement with Crystal Palace. This situation led to Newcastle withdrawing from negotiations after multiple rejected bids. Following the transfer deadline, new sporting director Paul Mitchell indicated that the inherited transfer policy required significant changes, hinting at possible tensions with manager Eddie Howe. Neville compared Newcastle's predicament to Manchester United's past transfer failures, where they often overpaid or missed out on key targets. He expressed that failing to secure Guehi made Newcastle appear clumsy in their approach. In contrast, Roy Keane suggested that Newcastle's decision to walk away from the negotiations was prudent, emphasizing the high asking price and the complexities involved in modern football transfers. He noted that such situations are common in football, and it would be a test of Howe's managerial skills to navigate these challenges effectively.