Exclusive: Newcastle will become Premier League champions! Magpies winger Jacob Murphy reveals he's 'certain' club will win the title in the future & admits squad excitement over transfer links to ‘elite’ players

The Magpies now boast the spending power that allows them to compete on the recruitment front with any side in world football. Shrewd investment across recent transfer windows has seen them piece together a fiercely-competitive squad – one good enough to finish fourth last season - as a 20-year wait for Champions League qualification was brought to a close.

Newcastle also reached the Carabao Cup final in 2022-23, with Jacob Murphy – speaking in association with STATSports – telling GOAL that there is even more to come. He said when asked if a Premier League crown will be secured by the most ambitious of outfits: “100 per cent. I’d like it to be while I’m still at the club, but I’m certain that at some point we are going to be Premier League champions.”

Success in the North East has helped to raise expectations around Newcastle, but Murphy is confident that a star-studded squad can deliver for a passionate fan base. He said, while urging patience when it comes to cracking the most difficult of divisions and ending a barren run on the trophy front: “The Premier League now, even last season, is becoming really strong. You don’t just have four teams now fighting for the top four, you have got about nine teams now that are all good enough to get into the top four. I think it’s a great time for the Premier League, a great time for fans, everyone has got to be excited about it.

"But it’s about being realistic in your goals, trust the process and in good time, good things will happen. It would be a bit naive to expect to win every single game in this league now, because teams are so strong, so it’s trusting the process and trusting that the boys will come good. It [expectation] is part and parcel of the game now. Our fan base is very in tune with the playing squad and the owners. In terms of expectation and reality, we are ahead of schedule at the moment – which is brilliant. You talk about bigger picture, we want to win every game and we want to win silverware – and we will – but we have to go through a process and a journey before we can achieve that. It’s not going to be long until we do, so keep the faith and keep behind us and everything will come good.”

Newcastle are expected to remain active in upcoming windows, with Murphy admitting that those currently at St James’ Park are as excited as anybody to discover who will be next through the doors. He said when asked about the speculation that the Magpies now find themselves at the centre of: “It’s interesting because, the club being so big, agents are going to try and chuck Newcastle’s name in with their players to try and generate a bit of interest. We are a huge club now and it’s great to have the calibre of players being linked with the club. It’s good.

"You want to be rubbing your shoulders with the best. They are coming in and I really enjoy elite players – not only are they going to be my team-mate, I am going to be their team-mate. Hopefully what they are giving me, I can give back and it can go hand-in-hand and be special. It’s nice to get linked with top players. The way that the club is going, the journey and trajectory and where we see ourselves in the years to come, we are only going to be linked with the best. It’s special, especially as a fan, and I want those players to come and play for my team.”

The Magpies will not be tightening the purse strings any time soon, with those at Eddie Howe’s disposal having to embrace the challenge presented by new recruits or face being left behind. Murphy added on that exciting process: “We have got big targets for what we want to achieve. We are on a journey, but in that process there are other achievements and targets that we want to make. Big players are going to have to come in. It’s part and parcel of being a top side, having top players in your team. It’s brilliant to be around – it improves your game no end, knowing that someone could come in to replace you. I’m not having it, while I’m still here, I’m giving everything to make sure I’m in and around the team and I can add value.”

Squad depth is vital nowadays, especially for those competing for silverware on multiple fronts, and Newcastle will continue to add in an effort to ensure that they come into contention when the grandest of prizes are handed out. Murphy said of building a winning team and mentality: “I think we had a good summer recruiting. We have a big squad and have good depth, but we have managed to get a season’s worth of injuries in the space of a few weeks – which is unseen. That’s tough not only for the injured boys, but those that are still fit and playing and the manager.

"But this is why you have a squad. There are 25 guys, everyone is going to be needed. Footballers are impatient, we want to play every game and be involved, but sometimes you’re not. The long game has got to be the bigger picture, there are going to be injuries and there is going to be a time when you’re called upon. With such a heavy injury list at the moment, there is going to be a lot of minutes for everybody. Everyone is ready to take their chance. You saw the game against Man United in the Carabao Cup, that result. We played brilliantly. A lot of lads hadn’t been playing regularly up until that point, and they go in and do unbelievably well. I think we have got good depth. We are going to be tested now but we have got a brilliant manager guiding us and a hungry squad that are ready to pick up the points.”

Newcastle sit seventh in the Premier League table as things stand. They have two more games to take in during the Champions League group stage – against Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan – while also being into another Carabao Cup quarter-final and readying themselves for the start of FA Cup action in 2024.

The Black Friday sale for the STATSports FIFA approved GPS tracker, is live on www.statsports.com