‘s 2024-25 end-of-season awards dinner was in full swing when Damian Vidagany took to the stage.
“There is no such thing as a massive six anymore,” he declared to loud cheers 12 months in the past – and such a sentiment could have loads of assist on Tyneside.
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Simply as Aston Villa disrupted the established order to qualify for the Champions League in 2024 and 2026, so too did in 2023 and 2025.
But the league’s highest-earning golf equipment have hardly withered within the face of the problem from outdoors the six, and ‘s pursuit of midfielder is a reminder of that.
Newcastle have needed to turn into higher sellers following years of imbalanced buying and selling, but it surely nonetheless feels a world away from the sensation across the membership going into final summer season.
Eddie Howe and his gamers had not lengthy to win a significant home trophy by defeating within the EFL Cup last, however they’d additionally secured Champions League soccer for the second time in three seasons.
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They’d a level of economic headroom once more following a number of home windows of relative parsimony, but it was nonetheless a battle for them to land their high targets – not to mention preserve maintain of their high gamers.
“It was very tough to draw the gamers that we wished, that we felt may actually make a distinction to the staff,” Howe mentioned final month. “I actually do not suppose that problem goes to be simpler. It’ll be more durable.”
These phrases proved relatively prophetic.
Newcastle managed to from Stade de Reims for £18.5m earlier than the window even formally opened.
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Nonetheless, simply when it appeared they had been in pole place to land high goal Victor Munoz, the winger joined Liverpool from .
It felt like Groundhog Day for supporters after , , and opted to maneuver to , Liverpool, and respectively final summer season.
The membership can’t afford for historical past to repeat itself, however it’s simple to overlook the window solely opened on 15 June.