Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson has insisted the club’s seemingly chaotic summer transfer window was carefully planned internally, despite a series of major departures and Eddie Howe’s exit.
The Magpies saw several key figures leave during pre-season, including Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, while Howe departed his position in July.
However, Wilson claims the club had prepared for the possibility of Howe leaving for several months before the former Newcastle Utd boss eventually moved on.
Howe exit part of the plans
“Eddie is an exceptionally talented coach and at some point that meant he was probably going to do something else and we had to be prepared for that,” Wilson told Sky Sports.
“It didn’t feel painful. Clearly the timing was not one we had planned for. But we had a plan in place which is why we executed it as quickly as we did.
“It might have caught some people off guard, but the reason we could move so quickly on it was because we had prepared for a number of months.”
Guimaraes departure was different
Wilson admitted, however, that Guimaraes’ move to Arsenal was not part of Newcastle’s original plans.
The former captain’s departure was the only major development during the window that caught the club by surprise, according to Wilson.
“We did not want to lose Bruno Guimaraes. That was really disappointing that we got to that place in the end,” he added.
“We were happy where we got to in terms of numbers but that was not part of our plan. But everything else that happened during the window was part of the plan.”
Newcastle Utd focusing on youth
Newcastle’s recruitment strategy has also shifted towards younger players, with Nico Gonzalez and Matias Fernandez-Pardo among eight arrivals aged under 24.
Wilson believes player trading will be essential if the club is to remain competitive in the Premier League.
“If you want to be a successful club in the Premier League, you have to trade players and if you don’t the chances are you won’t be a successful club in the Premier League,” he said.
New manager Matthias Jaissle has subsequently overseen an unbeaten start to the Premier League season, providing an early indication that Newcastle’s summer overhaul may be beginning to pay off.
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SportJustSport writers 
Michael Davey