It's been a difficult summer for Newcastle United, to say the least, so their supporters surely can't wait for the actual football to return, or perhaps they're rightly apprehensive.
What are Newcastle United's confirmed transfers?
Newcastle United's arrivals
- Anthony Elanga: Nottingham Forest - £55 million.
- Aaron Ramsdale: Southampton - Loan + £25 million option to buy.
- Malick Thiaw: AC Milan - £35 million.
Newcastle United's departures
- Sean Longstaff: Leeds United - £15 million.
- Lloyd Kelly: Juventus - £15 million.
- Callum Wilson: West Ham United - free transfer.
- Martin Dúbravka: Burnley - undisclosed.
- Odysseas Vlachodimos: Sevilla - loan.
- Jamal Lewis: free agent
- Isaac Hayden: free agent.
Pleased note: all information is correct as of the date of publication.
What happened at Newcastle United last season?
Let's start with the positives, last season was Newcastle United's best for a generation, arguably their most successful since 1951. First, the Magpies won domestic silverware for the first time in 70 years, defeating Liverpool 2-1 in the EFL Cup Final on an historic afternoon at Wembley. Then, thanks largely to a sequence of five straight Premier League victories in March and April, the Magpies finished fifth in the table, despite defeat at the hands of Everton on the final day.
This means, for the second time in three seasons, Eddie Howe's side will compete against Europe's elite in the Champions League. Two years ago, the Magpies finished rock-bottom of a group of death, winning only once, hoping to make more progress, with the new format in place, this time round.
How will Newcastle United do this season?
Those celebrations at Wembley and St James' Park last season have been followed by a summer of frustration, dismay and anger. Where to begin? Well, first and foremost, star striker Alexander Isak did not feature in pre-season, reportedly adamant that he will never play for the club again, attempting to force through a move to Liverpool, after the Reds' opening bid of £110 million was rejected.
Meantime, Newcastle have ignominiously missed out on countless targets in the transfer market, with players choosing to join Premier League rivals, rather than make the move to Tyneside. In terms of who has arrived, Malick Thiaw will be the new centre-back, and Anthony Elanga is an exciting addition in attack. Meantime, Aaron Ramsdale has joined from Southampton, so it'll be interesting to see if he has usurped fellow England international Nick Pope as the number one goalkeeper from day one.
Put succinctly, it's hard to know just how good Newcastle will be this season until the transfer window closes, but balancing domestic and European commitments will certainly be a challenge, one that they're really struggled to get to grips with two seasons ago. Well, their first two fixtures, away at Villa and then at home to Liverpool, will give us a fair idea as to how strong this team is right now.
What is our predicted Premier League finish for Newcastle United?
- Our predicted finish for Newcastle United in the Premier League this season: 8th.
What are Newcastle United's first 6 Premier League fixtures?
- Aston Villa (A). Saturday 16 August. Kick off 12:30 (BST).
- Liverpool (H). Monday 25 August. Kick off 20:00 (BST).
- Leeds United (A). Saturday 30 August. Kick off 17:30 (BST).
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (H). Saturday 13 September. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
- Bournemouth (A). Saturday 20 September. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
- Arsenal (H). Sunday 28 September. Kick off 16:30 (BST).
What are some other key dates for Newcastle United supporters?
- 27 August: Carabao Cup third round draw - taking place around 22:30 (BST).
- 28 August: UEFA Champions League league phase draw - taking place at 17:00 (BST).
- 1 September: The transfer window closes at 19:00 (BST).