Newcastle United might have to contend with a "Newcastle-tax" on transfer dealings from now on even if Sandro Tonali was tax-free, claims transfers expert Graeme Bailey.
Newcastle United transfer news – Suffering from success
The Magpies made their grand statement of intent earlier this week when it was finally confirmed that they had secured the signature of Tonali from AC Milan for a fee of £55m.
Whilst there have been some pretty big deals on Tyneside since the Saudi takeover, with Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes opting to don the famous black and white stripes over the traditional big sides, Tonali feels different.
The arrival of the Italian international feels like an announcement of 'here we are, and here we shall stay'. The Toon have made their way into the 'big six/seven' and aren't stopping there.
However, this newfound status and wealth have also brought with it new problems and dilemmas.
Where the team could once go about their transfer dealings in relative peace, making deals without the eyes of the world on them and paying reasonable fees for them, they will now be followed by a spotlight, likely unable to haggle as much as they once could.
One of the ways around this new "Newcastle-tax" for the club might be to leave their transfer business late, giving selling clubs fewer opportunities to drive up prices or haggle over fees, per Graeme Bailey.
He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast, saying:
"When Newcastle come calling, there is a tax being paid on this, and they're very reluctant to pay this Newcastle-tax as it is. They would argue with Tonali they didn't pay it to Milan, and for £50m, they probably didn't pay it, £50-60m.
"Newcastle are going to be busy, but I think they'll be going right to the end of the window to try and negotiate the best deals because they don't want to be ripped off on any deals."
Who else are Newcastle United linked to this summer?
One of the areas that Newcastle are looking to target in this window is in defence. So it's not surprising to hear that the club are extremely keen to secure the signature of Crystal Palace captain and England international Marc Guehi.
According to Football Insider, the Toon have been told that an offer of £60m would be enough to tempt the South London club into selling their star player, and whilst the centre-back was outstanding last season, averaging a rating of 6.68, £60m sound like the aforementioned tax is being sprinkled on top.
Another defender reportedly being watched by Eddie Howe and Co is Fulham full-back and United States international Antonee Robinson, who, according to the Evening Standard, would be available for the more reasonable fee of £35m.
Perhaps in a bid to avoid paying over the odds this summer, both Conor Gallagher and Kalvin Phillips have been linked with loan moves to St. James' Park, per the Telegraph.
Whatever strategy Newcastle end up employing going forward, they might just have to accept that one of the downsides of having such unbelievably wealthy owners is that clubs will be looking to make as much money off their backs as possible.
