Newcastle United told to follow Liverpool's 'meticulous' transfer example amid 'leaders' claim

Newcastle United should adopt Liverpool's 'meticulous' transfer approach and prioritise signing dressing room leaders. That is the view of former Magpies defender Jonathan Woodgate, who believes Eddie Howe's side should target top-half players in the summer.

United were Europe's biggest spenders in the January transfer window, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier arriving for a combined fee in excess of £90m. An unbeaten start to 2022 has helped ease relegation fears, although survival is still the immediate priority at St James' Park.

The summer is expected to be another busy window on Tyneside, with the club's owners pledging to invest to meet their ambitious vision of challenging for silverware this decade. Woodgate has warned Howe needs to maintain the 'balance' of his squad, and has urged his former club to follow the exhaustive approach which has proven a success on the red-half of Merseyside.

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He told Genting Casino: "You’ve got to have a balance in your squad of senior players, young players and players who are reaching their prime. You’ve got to do your homework when recruiting.

"You’ve got to know personalities. You’ve got to know family background, any problems that they may have had. You have to know everything.

"Liverpool are a great example of a club that gets recruitment right, they are meticulous. I had the pleasure of working there for eight months (as a Scout) and learnt a hell of a lot. I’m sure Eddie Howe will be the same.

"You have to be meticulous. You have to know the characters that you’re bringing into the building. If a player turns up, and he’s disruptive and he’s