Newcastle United’s takeover is off.
The Magpies thought they would be free of the near tyrannical reign of Mike Ashley when the Amanda Staveley-fronted Public Investment Fund agreed to buy the club in April.
It was meant to be £300 million, and a new ownership backed by a genuine billionaire.
Transfer targets were identified in the heads of supporters, with joking links to PSG’s Kylian Mbappe mentioned on social media.
There was even the prospect of a new manager, with Mauricio Pochettino out of work and a potential target to replace Steve Bruce.
But then, last week, it all came crashing down.
There is no likelihood of signings spanning the hundreds of millions, no redevelopment of St James’ Park, no instant surge up the table.
But still, the summer comes and we are no closer to knowing how many signings Newcastle will make or the money they will be able to spend.
The COVID-19 pandemic has, naturally, wreaked havoc on the transfer plans of clubs up and down Europe.
The Magpies will not have escaped that, but it seems that plans are still in place to strengthen Bruce’s squad.
The Athletic reports that they are interested in signing a number of strikers this summer, having seen Joelinton struggle throughout the campaign.
He managed to score just two Premier League goals in 38 Premier League appearances and there is interest in a number of European forwards.
The report states that Patrik Schick, the Roma striker who spent the season on loan at RB Leipzig, is a target, with scouts running the rule over him regularly.
Schick scored 10 goals in 22 outings for Leipzig in the Bundesliga in 2019/20.
There is also interest in Paco Alcacer, although he could prove harder to sign.
The Spain international moved to Villarreal from Borussia Dortmund in January and scored four goals in 13 outings.
He remains a preferred option among the Newcastle hierarchy but he is valued at £25.2 million by Transfermarkt.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
Newcastle need to get a striker into the club.
Joelinton was a genuinely abysmal signing, roundly failing to make any sort of impact whatsoever and appearing allergic to actually scoring goals.
Nevertheless, that failure will surely have sharpened the focus at St James’ Park when it comes to securing strikers; they can ill-afford to get it so wrong again.
Both Schick and Alcacer are intriguing options who would add something different to the club’s forward line.
But it remains to be seen if either can actually be signed.
One thing is for sure: They would both be massive upgrades.