There’s nothing worse than football clubs not being able to keep their transfer targets secret given that it alerts other potential buyers to the fact a player is available, and one Newcastle player appears to have inadvertently done exactly that.
Eddie Howe is putting the building blocks in place for his squad little by little and, as such, they’ve already built up a team spirit and camaraderie over the last 12-18 months.
Rather than a huge influx of players to upset the team dynamic, Howe and his backroom staff have been studious about what they need and when, and to this point it’s really paid off for the Magpies.
This summer is a hugely important one for the club as they seek to dominate Europe in the Champions League as well as domestically in the Premier League.
In order to do that, they have to be able to go about their business quietly and bring in the top-quality targets that they desire – with no interference from others.
That could be a little difficult after the latest faux pas from club captain, Jamaal Lascelles.
According to Newcastle World (subscription required), Lascelles inadvertently announced, in the pub of all places, that AC Milan star, Sandro Tonali, had completed his move to the club.
Genuine mistakes can be made of course, though Howe will hope that it’s the only one of that type made this summer.