Newcastle United had a very eventful summer transfer window deadline day, as it saw the completion of two major deals. St. James Park completed the £51 million signing of Matia Fernandez-Pardo from Lille, which made him the club’s eighth signing of the window, behind Nico Gonzalez, Amar Dedic, Sean Steur, Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Toure, Aladji Bamba and Lukas Hornicek. The arrival of Fernandez-Pardo opened the door for the departure of Nick Woltemade.
Newcastle United vs AFC Bournemouth
Kickoff: Sat. Sept. 5, 12:30pm
St. James Park, Newcastle, UK
Premier League Position, Form: Newcastle 6th, 4 pts, DW AFC Bournemouth 14th, 1 pt, LD
Result Probability, According to Google: Newcastle United win: 43% Draw 26% AFC Bournemouth win 31%
The German striker was loaned out to Juventus, for the entirety of the season, on a deal without an option or an obligation to buy. Woltemade was expected to try and fill the void when Alexander Isak departed for Liverpool, for a British record £125 million, but it didn’t really materialize.
So much was made of the Geordies’ sell-off this summer, and understandably so, given how the sale of players at the quality level of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon will always grab headlines; in every window.
However, Newcastle did replenish the squad too, as they spent about £244 million on acquiring new players. The Geordies went younger, and rebuilt the roster to offset the £270 million they raised in player sales.
And although it is very early days, they do look better through the first two matches, as they currently sit sixth in the table.
Last year they finished 12th in the table.
Newcastle United Team News
Fernandez-Pardo could make his debut in a Newcastle shirt in the Saturday lunchtime fixture at home to Bournemouth. We might also see Valentino Livramento come back in to the squad. We will see if Tino is in full training by Friday or not.
Elsewhere Joelinton, William Osula and Dan Burn remain sidelined.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.