Newcastle must replace some key players this summer and one former Tottenham winger has urged them not to follow his old club's transfer strategy
Newcastle should veer away from following Tottenham's former transfer strategy of buying younger players, believes ex-England star Chris Waddle.
Waddle turned out down the wing for both clubs and has seen Spurs splash out £237million so far on more established players this summer, including Newcastle's own Sandro Tonali in a deal that could be worth £100million. The north London outfit also spent £85million on Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, £52million on Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke with free transfers also agreed for the experienced trio of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle, who sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona earlier in the summer and have Arsenal interested in Bruno Guimaraes, have been linked with a string of younger players from across Europe in the transfer window and Waddle has warned that following that strategy did little previously for Tottenham.
"I'm looking at the players Newcastle are linked with, particularly the younger ones. It seems they're shifting towards a younger recruitment strategy, focusing on developing talent to sell on, much like Tottenham has done over the years. Many of the players they've been linked with are quite young and unproven.
"They could turn out to be top players, or they might not. The players you read about and who they are linked with show they are going down that younger, high-potential avenue.
"We'll wait and see, but they're getting rid of three players who are proven in the Premier League to three players who may come in who are unknown. That’s a massive gamble and I don't think it's helpful for Eddie Howe. I think his hands are tied," said the former England international in association with OLBG .
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
"Howe will get on with it, and we know he's a good coach who has done great work at Newcastle. I'm sure he still has a lot of backing from the fans, who will be looking to the ownership for answers on why players are leaving, why the club is cashing in on them, and why they are bringing in replacements for less than the value of those they are offloading."
He added: "I’ve always believed that if you have the money and the backing, you should buy a player who is ready to perform in the Premier League. It might cost a bit more, but they are proven.
"I think that’s why Tottenham have started buying players who we know can play and handle the Premier League well.
"Over the years, they brought in Archie Gray and Steven Bergwijn, but neither consistently stayed in the team and that was three or four years ago. There’s a case for buying proven players depending on the size of your club, I think Newcastle needs to target players ready for the Premier League right now. I don’t understand the strategy of banking on development for two or three years down the line."