In a potentially disastrous summer transfer window, Newcastle United failed with a late bid to sign an alternative central defender to Marc Guehi for Eddie Howe's side.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies entered the summer in desperate need of at least two central defenders and ended the window with their most impressive signing being Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly on a free deal. To put it plainly, those at St James' Park endured a nightmare few months as they attempted to strengthen Howe's side and keep in line with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
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As the window went on, however, it quickly became clear that Newcastle had money to spend, having seen bid after bid rejected by Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi, with their latest offer reportedly reaching the £65m mark. It seemed as though every time Newcastle's offer went up, so did Palace's valuation in quite the summer saga.
By the end of the summer, with Howe still in pursuit of Guehi, Newcastle saw the window slam shut without welcoming an alternative. That's not to say that those at St James' Park didn't attempt to land other options, however.
According to Tuttosport, Newcastle saw a bid worth €25m (£21m) for Federico Gatti rejected by Juventus amid new manager Thiago Motta's belief that the defender is a pivotal part of his side's backline.
The Italian would have undoubtedly solved Newcastle's problem, but whether Howe would have accepted the deal is another question entirely. According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Howe told the Newcastle hierarchy that it was Guehi or no one, despite sporting director Paul Mitchell having misgivings about the Palace star being the only option.
In the end, Newcastle went without and Howe's judgement must now survive the test of time as the Premier League season takes shape.
Newcastle should have ditched Guehi pursuit
As the price kept rising and the clock kept ticking away, Newcastle should have known when to call it quits in their hunt for Guehi's signature. There's no doubt that they were willing to splash the cash, but justifying a price similar to what Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018 would have been a difficult sell.
Instead, Newcastle should have turned to alternatives, with one of those perhaps being Gatti and an improved bid to test Juve's resolve. The 26-year-old is at the peak of his powers and earned the praise of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig for the unconventional route that he has taken to the top of Italian football. Kulig dubbed the defender a "hero" and described his career as "great".
Without Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles for the opening stages of the season at least, Newcastle are already short on options at the back, once again reinforcing the regret they likely carry over their summer business.