Players outside top flight are best value for money - Wilson

NEWCASTLE United sporting director Ross Wilson has said it is ‘highly likely’ there is more value in the transfer market when shopping for targets outside of the Premier League.

- By SEAN MCCORMICK Football writer

And Wilson, who joined the club as sporting director from Nottingham Forest back in October, has confirmed it is ‘something we'll be looking into’ in future transfer markets.

Newcastle have tried to sign ‘Premier League ready’ players in the past and four of the six first team signings in the summer were signed from teams in the English top flight.

Eddie Howe has spoken about the importance of that Premier League experience when it comes to recruitment but it is perhaps telling that the two best performing summer signings this season - Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw - were signed from clubs in Germany and Italy respectively.

Particularly in the case of Thiaw, bought for £34.6million from AC Milan, Newcastle look to have found a defensive gem for a snip of a transfer fee.