Chris Sutton believes Eddie Howe has done the opposite of buying success at Newcastle United since the club's takeover in October last year.
The Magpies have spent £210 million on transfers since the takeover of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and paid a club record fee of £63 million for Alexander Isak in the summer.
However, Isak has featured just three times for Newcastle and has been unavailable due to injury for the past three months. A number of players that were already at the club prior to Howe's arrival have undergone remarkable transformations, and Sutton is impressed by the balance of the team.
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"Absolutely not [expected Newcastle to finish in the top four at the start of the season]," the former Blackburn Rovers forward revealed on BT Sport Score.
He added: "I fancy them strongly now, it's easy to say that now. But you look at their defensive record, they're a really well balanced team. I know everybody thinks about Newcastle and money, and that they were going to buy success. But Eddie Howe has done anything but that really in terms of the players who he has improved. Joe Willock, Joelinton has been exceptional."
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