Newcastle United have become big spenders in the transfer market since they were bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021.
Although the 2024 summer window was quieter for the Magpies, they have not been afraid to splash the cash on new signings since the takeover.
Four of their five most expensive signings, as per Transfermarkt, have come with the new owners at the helm. That includes Alexander Isak, who cost £63m, a club record deal, and Sandro Tonali, with the Italian midfielder costing £55m.
Prior to the takeover, however, the Magpies did not spend money nearly as much and were a selling club rather than a side that spent millions of pounds on new stars.
Newcastle’s record sales
The North Eastern outfit have certainly sold players on for hefty profit during the Premier League era. Within their top eight most expensive sales of all time, just three of them came in the past two summer windows.
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That includes Elliot Anderson, who moved to Nottingham Forest for a fee which is reportedly worth upwards of £35m. Yankubah Minteh also left the club this summer to join Brighton, and Allan Saint-Maximin left in 2023 for Saudi Arabain outfit Al-Ahli, although he now plies his trade at Fenerbahce.
The other expensive departures from St James’ Park date further back than that. It includes the likes of Yohan Cabaye, who made the move to PSG for a fee of £20m, and Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who moved to Liverpool for around £25m.
Player
Joined
Fee
Year
Elliot Anderson
Nottingham Forest
£35m
2024
Andy Carroll
Liverpool
£35m
2011
Yankubah Minteh
Brighton
£30
2024
Moussa Sissoko
Spurs
£30m
2016
Ayoze Perez
Leicester
£30m
2019
Georginio Wijnaldum
Liverpool
£25m
2016
Allan Saint-Maximin
Al-Ahli
£23m
2023
Yohan Cabaye
PSG
£20m
2013
There is one name on that list in particular whose sale proved to be a stroke of genius from the Magpies, given the money they got and the fact he is worth so little nowadays. That player is Andy Carroll.
Carroll’s Newcastle career
A graduate of the Newcastle academy, striker Carroll had a successful time of things across two spells at St James’ Park. He made 134 appearances for the North Eastern side, scoring 34 goals and grabbing 26 assists.
It took a while for the England international to score his first goal in that famous Black and White striped shirt. First breaking into the first team in 2006/07, it took the striker until January 2009 to find the back of the net, coming against West Ham in the Premier League.
Sadly for the Magpies, they suffered relegation that same season. This arguably benefited the 6’4 striker, however, and he really found his shooting boots. Carroll was prolific in the Championship, scoring 17 goals and grabbing 12 assists in 39 league games, helping the Magpies to promotion at the first time of asking.
That season was not a fluke, and the centre-forward continued his efforts in the top flight. In 2010/11 for the Magpies, he scored 11 goals and grabbed eight assists in just 19 games, which included a hattrick against Aston Villa. His form was so good that Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, speaking on Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast, described him as “unbelievable” when reflecting on Carroll at his best.
His outstanding form earned Carroll a January move to Liverpool, who paid £35m for his services, at the same time as they signed Luis Suarez. That happened to be Newcastle’s record sale, which has since been equalled by Anderson’s move to the City Ground.
Sadly, it did not work out for Carroll on Merseyside. The centre-forward managed just 11 goals in 58 games for the club and ended up back at St James’ Park a few seasons later via West Ham. He managed just one goal on his second spell in the North East.
Nowadays, the former England international plays for Girondins Bordeaux in the fourth tier of French football, after the legendary club were declared bankrupt and relegated. He has five goals in three games for the six-time French champions.
Unsurprisingly, Carroll’s value has dropped considerably. Most recently, Transfermarkt valued the former Magpies man at just £200k. There is certainly an argument that Newcastle made the right choice to sell him for a club-record fee all those years ago.
Not only has his value decreased a lot since the sale, but he was simply never the same prolific goalscorer he was as a Newcastle player for those 18 months in the Championship and Premier League.
Looking back on it, the Magpies may well be relieved they sold the striker for such profit. It has certainly proven to be a smart choice in the long term.
Cost the club £35m: Newcastle star is now worth millions less after leaving
Newcastle made the right call selling star who’s value has plummeted
ByAngus Sinclair Oct 25, 2024