Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle targets more recruits following key player exodus

Following a 12th-place finish and Eddie Howe's departure after five years at the helm, Newcastle suffered a significant exodus, losing Sandro Tonali to Tottenham for £100m, Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal, and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona. The Magpies responded by bringing in Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Toure, Afner Ca, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba, Lukas Hornicek, and Amar Dedic. However, new manager Jaissle stressed that further additions are still essential before the transfer window slams shut.

Asked by Sky Sports about how many more signings he wants before the deadline, Jaissle explained: "I would love to answer that with a clear number, but it depends on if players are leaving as well.

"For sure, there will be adjustments made, the needs are clear. The management knows about the needs and we are all aligned. We will use the remaining time [in the transfer window] in the best possible way, but we also trust the players who are already here."

Four of Newcastle's seven summer arrivals are under the age of 21, including 18-year-old Sean Steur from Ajax, prompting Jaissle to urge patience regarding their adaptation process.

He continued: "You know that usually you need to have the adaptation time, therefore I said that you need to be patient with them and give them the time. It's always a process. We should not give them too much pressure in the beginning. It's a goal of the club to work with young talent, to develop them and that is nice to see because that's a clear identity of the club.

"That's also the reason why I'm here, because I'm used to working with young talents in my time in Salzburg and I also used to work with stars in Saudi Arabia, so it's a great fit, and you can build on something."

Acknowledging the tight preparation window ahead of the curtain-raiser, the tactician highlighted the need for swift adaptation and the backing of the St James' Park crowd: "You are aware, like I am, that we need to fix things in a short amount of time. The timing was not ideal, but in football you cannot always have the perfect timing, so we need to do the best out of it. In a short amount of time, we need to be efficient, we need to implement the philosophy as much as possible, how the lads should enter the pitch and deliver the messages.

"They are doing an amazing job so far. They are really committed, they learn fast, but it will be a process. We are for sure not 100 per cent against Liverpool, but with the fans in the back, with the support from the stands, we can do special things here at St James' Park. I could feel that already in the friendly matches."

Newcastle host Liverpool in Sunday's Premier League opener carrying a daunting record, having gone winless in their last 19 league meetings against the Reds (D5 L14). However, the Magpies remain unbeaten on the opening weekend across the past four campaigns (W3 D1) since a 4-2 defeat to West Ham in 2021-22. The marquee clash will provide an immediate test of Jaissle's tactical blueprint in front of the home faithful.