Newcastle’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

FT Desk

• 1 Apr 2026 09:30 CDT
• 6 min read

Analysis

Newcastle's Saudi Arabian takeover during the 2021-22 season immediately transformed them into the richest club in world football following years of stagnation under previous owner Mike Ashley.

The new regime splashed the cash after its arrival to rejuvenate a side that was previously amongst the lowest spenders in the league, as the Magpies looked to re-establish themselves as a top Premier League side.

This approach came back to bite them as they would later be forced into painful sales to avoid breaching financial regulations. However, the investment did allow them to finally end their 70-year trophy drought when they won the Carabao Cup in 2025.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Newcastle signings of all time.

10. Bruno Guimaraes - €42.1m (from Lyon, 2022)

Newcastle's €42.1m signing of Bruno Guimaraes was the first real big-money arrival under the Saudi regime and he quickly proved just why the club were desperate to bring him in in the midst of a relegation battle.

The Brazilian rejected the chance of a relegation release clause and endeared himself to fans by insisting he wanted to become a legend at the club, a feat he is well on the way to achieving after leading Newcastle to survival in his first season, the Champions League in his second and the Carabao Cup in 2025.

Guimaraes has been one of the best-performing midfielders in the world since his arrival at Newcastle.

9. Joelinton - €43.5m (from Hoffenheim, 2019)

Joelinton arrived at St James' Park as Newcastle's new number nine despite never playing as a lone striker during his time in Germany with Hoffenheim. The Magpies were happy to spend a staggering €43.5m on the Brazilian despite this, and the move did not work out initially.

He struggled in his first campaign under Steve Bruce and was considered one of the biggest flops in Premier League history after scoring just six times in his first 69 games.

However, the arrival of Eddie Howe saw Joelinton move into a new midfield role, and this allowed him to really excel and win over the club's supporters.

8. Harvey Barnes - €44m (from Leicester, 2023)

Newcastle capitalised on Leicester City's shock relegation in 2023 by signing English winger Harvey Barnes for a fee of €44m.

The attacker arrived at St James' Park off the back of a 13-goal season for the Foxes to bolster the Magpies' frontline ahead of their long-awaited return to the Champions League.

He left Leicester having scored 45 goals and provided 32 assists in 187 appearances for the club, but he has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot at Newcastle

7. Jacob Ramsay - €45.2m (from Aston Villa, 2025)

Newcastle endured a dire 2025 summer window as they missed out on a host of top targets despite their Carabao Cup success and Champions League qualification.

As a result, they were forced into some desperate signings and paid over the odds on several players. Jacob Ramsay was one of them, costing a whopping €45.2m despite being a fairly average Premier League player.

He had his moments in his first season at St. James' Park, but it still looks like a significant overpay.

6. Anthony Gordon - €45.6m (from Everton, 2023)

Anthony Gordon was a long-term target for Eddie Howe and Newcastle, but they had multiple bids turned down by Everton in 2022 before finally agreeing a deal in January 2023.

The forward had previously been chased by Chelsea, but the Blues opted for the other options after Thomas Tuchel left the club.

Gordon departed Everton with just seven goals in 78 games for the Toffees, but Newcastle had seen enough to spend €45.6m to bring him to St James' Park.

He won the 'Player of the Tournament' award as England were victorious at the U21 European Championships in 2023, just months after he joined Newcastle, where he has continued his impressive development.

5. Yoane Wissa - €57.7m (from Brentford, 2025)

Yoane Wissa's move was emblematic of the horror summer the Magpies endured in 2025, despite undeniably being a good Premier League attacker.

Newcastle spent all summer haggling over a fee with Brentford and ultimately agreed to cough up close to €60m for the 28-year-old. The deal almost didn't go through at all because Wissa forgot to sign one of the documents. It was only completed 30 seconds before the deadline.

He did not make his debut for the club until December 2025 because he suffered a long-term knee injury while away on international duty before even kicking a ball for Newcastle.

4. Sandro Tonali- €60.8m (from Milan, 2023)

Sandro Tonali became the most expensive Italian player in football history when he left his beloved AC Milan for Newcastle in the summer of 2023 for €60.8m.

Tonali had emerged as one of Europe's most exciting young central midfielders during his time at San Siro, playing a pivotal role in Milan winning their first Scudetto in 11 years in 2021-22.

Often compared to Andrea Pirlo, the former Milan man is a far different player from the Italy legend, but Tonali has admitted that he idolised Rino Gattuso growing up, and his style is similar to his former Milan manager.

However, he had a disastrous first season at Newcastle as he missed most of the campaign with a gambling ban. It wasn't until his second season that he really got going and became one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

3. Anthony Elanga - €61.4m (from Nottingham Forest, 2025)

Anthony Elanga was the only top target Newcastle managed to get their hands on in 2025, but some fans are probably wishing that they had missed out on him as well.

The Swede has struggled to live up to his hefty €61.4m price tag. Elanga looked a far cry from the electric wide man he had been at Nottingham Forest in the years prior.

He slightly improved as his first season at St. James' Park wore on, but there is still a long way to go before he justifies the Magpies' heavy investment.

2. Alexander Isak - €70m (from Real Sociedad, 2022)

Newcastle confirmed the signing of striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad in 2022, completing the deal for an initial €70m.

Isak left La Liga with 44 goals in 132 Real Sociedad games, while he managed to establish himself as one of Europe's best young forwards during his time in Spain.

The Sweden international struggled with injury during his first season with the Magpies, but he still managed to notch 10 goals in just 22 Premier League games in his debut campaign.

He exploded in 2023-24 with 25 goals in all competitions and he continued that brilliant form in 2024-25, earning himself a Premier League-record €145m move to Liverpool.

1. Nick Woltemade - €75m (from Stuttgart, 2025)

After missing out on Matheus Cunha, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko, Newcastle's desperate scramble to sign a replacement for Isak culminated in them splashing out a club-record fee on relatively unproven Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade.

The exact amount spent on the German was the subject of intense debate at the time of the move, with reports in his home country claiming that the fee could rise to as high as €90m, while others asserted that it was in the region of €85m.

It is now generally accepted that Newcastle spent an upfront fee of €75m on Woltemade. Despite being billed as an unorthodox striker, Woltemade started like a house on fire, scoring four goals in his first five Premier League appearances.

However, the goals soon dried up, and Woltemade started coming in for significant criticism.

The 10 most expensive Newcastle signings of all time