Are Newcastle's January signings enough for Premier League survival?

James Shearman

Updated: 9 Feb 2022 18:40 GMT
3 min read

Newcastle United spent £93 million in the January transfer window in a bid to ensure Premier League survival.

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Gone are the days of former owner Mike Ashley's miserly spending, as the new Saudi-based owners have already acted upon their desire to bring success to the North East.

Indeed, Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn were all signed permanently, with Aston Villa's Matt Targett joining on loan.

Newcastle were destined to go down before the takeover, but Eddie Howe's men now have an excellent chance of staying up.

In fact, having spent more than any club in Europe last month, the ex-Bournemouth manager will lose his job if he is relegated from the Premier League for a second time.

Newcastle to avoid relegation?

Newcastle's biggest issue in the first half of the season was the defence, conceding more goals than any other Premier League team under Steve Bruce.

So, the club went a long way to rectifying the situation in the January window with three defensive acquisitions - Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Matt Targett.

Trippier offers both Champions League and international experience to the backline, as well as a remarkable set-piece threat.

Kieran Trippier, that's brilliant! 🎯

A lovely free-kick right into the bottom corner 👌

Newcastle open up a two-goal lead and the stadium has erupted! 🎚 pic.twitter.com/r42Of5gSrJ
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 8, 2022

Burn, at 6ft 7in tall, offers an obvious aerial presence, while Targett has proven to be a decent Premier League full-back.

Elsewhere, Chris Wood provides an alternative option to the quick but injury-prone Callum Wilson, while also a power move in terms of buying from a competitive rival (Burnley).

A target man that can bring the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin into play further up the pitch will be of use to Howe.

But, the marquee signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon is the one that has Newcastle fans most optimistic.

A midfielder targeted by Europe's top clubs, it came as a real surprise that the Magpies were able to entice the Brazilian into a move to a relegation-threatened side.

In particular, his ball-carrying ability and passing into the final third will drastically help with the transition from defence to attack, something that Jonjo Shelvey is unable to do.

So, when you contrast these moves to the activity at Newcastle's nearest competition (Burnley, Watford and Norwich), it seems as though survival is all but guaranteed.

None of the current bottom three made significant moves in the window, meaning they should have no chance of escaping at Newcastle's expense.

Read more about: Newcastle Utd., Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett