'We didn't do a whole lot of mourning or crying when we had a setback'
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It was rather telling that Matias Fernandez-Pardo was Newcastle United's final signing of a rollercoaster summer.
It was a pursuit which was anything but straightforward. The Belgian had been a top target before the window opened, but it was only in the final stages that the club were able to complete a complex deal following delicate negotiations with Lille.
It was ultimately a tale of two very different forwards on deadline day.
On the same afternoon, Newcastle announced that towering club-record signing Nick Woltemade had finalised his loan move to Juventus, having only joined the club last summer.
This has been a window of change on Tyneside. A shake-up had been signposted as far back as the spring.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes was among a handful of key players to leave, while eight new signings arrived, as Newcastle's records for spending and sales in a single window were both smashed.
It was in early April when Newcastle announced defender Kieran Trippier would be leaving at the end of his contract.
The 34-year-old was approaching the twilight of his career, but his departure was still keenly felt as an influential figure behind the scenes.
Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali's subsequent exits to Barcelona and Tottenham respectively did not necessarily come as a surprise either, given they enabled Newcastle to comply and reinvest within the game's financial rules.
No-one internally had countenanced losing talisman Guimaraes to Arsenal, though.
After losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool against their wishes last summer, Newcastle ended up selling a fourth key player in less than a year.
They also missed out on top targets Victor Munoz and Johan Manzambi, who opted to move to Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively.
Yet those inside the club repeatedly stressed that the transfer window could only be judged once it had shut.
The final fortnight ultimately proved critical as defender Amar Dedic, midfielder Nico Gonzalez and forward Fernandez-Pardo all joined the club.
"Just because one element doesn't go the way you want, it doesn't mean you abandon the plan," a senior source said.
"We stayed on target, stayed focused, stayed calm and moved on. We didn't do a whole lot of mourning or crying when we had a setback.
"We pivoted to what's next."
How did you feel about Newcastle's summer transfer business as a whole? Are you happy with the refreshed squad?
