The troubles of the transfer window

AN OUTLAY OF SOME £222M, BUT FOR WHAT?

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NEWCASTLE'S buying policy since the takeover more than four years ago has been held up as a shining example of great recruitment.

The successes have piled up virtually without a failure... Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman, Alexander Isak, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Harvey Barnes, Nick Pope.

However, for the first time questions have been levelled about value for money. Oh, Malick Thiaw has followed along the yellow brick road to the promised land, but question marks remain over many. The jury is still out.

Nick Woltemade at a club-record £69m has split opinion - a centreforward with totally different attributes and failings to what has gone before. Anthony Elanga at £55m has made little or no impact. Jacob Ramsey (£43m) has hardly started amid a suspect fitness record. Yoane Wissa (£55m) hasn't kicked a single ball due to injury on international duty immediately after signing. And Aaron Ramsdale is very much just backup to Pope.

That is a huge wad of money - £222m - plus a small on-loan fee for Ramsdale spent without an immediate hint of a return. Thiaw stands apart at £34m, a sleek defender of grace and effectiveness, but United required others to make an immediate impact in a Champions League season of competing across four competitions. That they have not hasn't helped a stuttering return in the Premier League.