Rafael Benitez's decision to remain with Newcastle United made the club strong candidates for an immediate return to the Premier League following their relegation last term. The Spaniard has been hard at work over the summer overhauling the Magpies' squad, removing the players that failed to guide the club to top-flight safety.
Newcastle brought in 12 new arrivals to St James' Park over a hectic three months, while sending nine players away on permanent deals, recouping nearly £90m with Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko headlining the exits. Benitez made savvy additions by bolstering his squad with British-based players, who have plenty of experience at playing in the second tier.
As a result, the North East outfit are backed in the latest Bet365 Championship betting odds at 8/15 to win promotion back to the Premier League. The signing of Dwight Gayle raised eyebrows due to the £10m fee that the Magpies paid to secure the deal from Crystal Palace, with the forward taking the number nine shirt from the departed Papiss Cisse.
However, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to his Newcastle career, notching four goals in his opening five appearances. He appears to have a good pedigree in the second tier after struggling to find his feet in the Premier League. Should Gayle's goals fire Benitez's men back into the top flight then he will have repaid the club's investment.
Newcastle paid another large transfer fee to sign Matt Ritchie from Bournemouth. The move came as a surprise considering the amount of matches the midfielder player for the Cherries last season, and he was seen as a key operator for Eddie Howe. A £12m bid was accepted and Ritchie picked up where he left off for the South Coast team in the second tier when he helped fire them into the Premier League. He has been extremely effective in the final third, often driving his side forward with his creativity.
The Scot is a star at Championship level and will almost certainly continue his impressive start to his career, with the only question remaining whether he would be good enough to become a consistent threat in the top flight. Benitez added numerous faces to his backline, although the two centre-back positions appeared to be filled in the form of Jamaal Lascelles and Chancel Mbemba.
The Spaniard nonetheless signed Grant Hanley and Ciaran Clark, while also securing deals for DeAndre Yedlin, Jesus Gamez and Achraf Lazaar. Newcastle's biggest problem in their relegation was conceding cheap goals and Benitez has completely overhauled his backline to address the matter. On paper it looks to be a solid unit, although their early defeats to Fulham and Reading proved there will be teething issues.
If the club's new signings play to their ability and Benitez finds the right blend of a line-up on the pitch then the Magpies are certainties for promotion. However, their biggest issue could be what happens after that, having given lucrative deals to players that have struggled to make the grade playing at a higher level. Fortunately for Newcastle fans it may not be a bad problem to have, for now…
