'Look, this is what we're building' - Newcastle deal is a game-changer for new signings

Newcastle United’s new £190millon training complex will go a long way towards helping them to attract a higher quality of players to the club in future.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that it is more of a statement of intent for players as to how the club hopes to progress.

This comes after the news that the Magpies have reached an agreement to build their new training ground on the Woolsington Estate, amid the hope that it may be ready for them to move in ahead of the 2029-30 campaign.

Wyness has praised the club for finally getting a deal in place for their long-term project, and feels that it could inadvertently help them to keep their key players in the future.

The Tynesiders have lost the trio of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes all in the same summer, much to the annoyance of their loyal fanbase. 

However, Wyness believes there is less chance of that happening in future, as PIF’s long-term plan to establish Newcastle as an elite club takes its next step.

Newcastle now on level playing field with elites

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Newcastle’s new training ground will put them on a par with some of the Premier League established elites.

While he acknowledged that players are not tempted into transfers by training grounds alone, he made it clear that Newcastle will have missed out on stars by not having those facilities in the past. 

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, he explained the knock-on effect that he expects to see once the club have fully moved in. 

“We've talked many times about Newcastle not having the quality of training facility that they should have had, and it has been one of the reasons that they have not been able to attract the quality of players,” Wyness said.

“Well, the reality is that having a great swimming pool and a great training facility isn't the reason why players come to a club.

“But when you don't have one, that's the issue because it's more an indication of the desire and the trajectory of the club going forward and being able to say, look, this is what we're building, this is who we are, and this is where we want to go.

“So that's the more important factor. It'll be important in saying to players who want to leave, saying, look, you can see here a statement of intent that we're going to go places.

“So not having that was the problem, but as I say the actual facility itself will be very good and it's going to be obviously state-of-the-art and probably one of the best in the world.”

Newcastle in last-minute race to sign Christian Kofane

Football Insider revealed on Sunday that Newcastle are set to battle Aston Villa and Chelsea to sign Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane in the final stages of the window. 

The Premier League trio are all big admirers of the 20-year-old starlet, and feel that a deal can be struck before the 1 September deadline. 

Kofane notched seven goals and six assists in all competitions last term, and already has two strikes to his name from his opening two competitive outings this term.

The Cameroon international is held in extremely high regard by Leverkusen, but they could be about to lose him in the coming days.