As the door to the summer transfer market officially swings open for frenzied business everyone is at the ready for the Great Chase. Taxis have been booked, flights checked for availability, medicals arranged.
It is a time when hope turns to reality. When the dreams of fans reach glorious fruition or are cruelly dashed. When tomorrow is determined today. Agents go into overdrive selling their clients to the rich. The backdoor tapping, carried out by the ten percenters to determine interest, gives way to full throttle approach.
Geordies of course are only concerned about how Newcastle United fare in attempting to bolster their Champions League credentials. We are guaranteed action. Just who, where, and when remains to be determined.
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Let me just say that come what may knowing the areas United wish to strengthen let them sign a back four player with the impact of Kieran Trippier, a midfielder of passion like Bruno Guimaraes, a forward with the quality of Alexander Isak, and if needed a back up keeper almost as good as Nick Pope.
Their transfer record has been impeccable and long may it continue. A quick glance at the early stirrings across Planet Football is enough to whet the appetite.
Here for example is what we know already.
GONE: Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid for north of £110m; Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool for a bargain £35m; Joao Pedro, once a Newcastle target to Brighton undisclosed fee; Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema buying into football's retirement plan with David Beckham's Inter Miami and Al-Ittihad respectively.
CONFIRMED GOING: Declan Rice from West Ham at £100m; Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich; a bunch of free transfers from Liverpool including Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlande-Chamberlain and Naby Keita; another one-time Newcastle wish Jesse Lingard from Nottingham Forest; Granit Xhaka at Arsenal; Leicester City free transfer men Youri Tielemans and Ayoze Perez.
So what of NUFC? Targets are a'plenty including those chased long term like James Maddison, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay, and Conor Gallagher. All with a genuine chance of landing here.
No chance, I believe, that those rocking up will include Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Perez or, I hope, Harry Maguire. Phillips will stay at Man City in the hope that like Jack Grealish his second season will see a sudden blossoming. Rice would cost far too much in both transfer fee and wages for United at this stage of their development. And Perez is yesterday's man.
A name I find intriguing who has come under discussion of late at St James' Park is Tyler Adams who cost Leeds £20m from Leipzig and was probably their most influential player last season. He could fit in perfectly with United's all action, high pressing midfield.
Adams' value is perhaps underpinned by the fact that in his 24 Premier League appearances Leeds picked up 23 points whereas in the 14 games he missed after suffering a hamstring injury they managed only eight points. Still just 24, Adams also starred with the United States at the Qatar World Cup. A player for now and the future.
One deal virtually past the winning post but likely to impact in the more distant future rather than next season is the signing of Yankuba Minteh from OB Odense in Denmark at £6m. The 18-year-old Gambian winger, likely to be sent out on loan, will probably be the first arrival who would spark the influx of newcomers.
As for those leaving our shores, we could need a thirty-seater coach to ferry them out.
Ciaran Clark's contract is up as is the case with Mark Gillespie so goodnight. Matt Ritchie, Paul Dummett and Loris Karius are also free though Eddie Howe has indicated he would be happy for all three to re-sign. There is a significant doubt that they will of course particularly with Ritchie and Karius because of family reasons.
Meanwhile Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, Jamal Lewis and Ryan Fraser have absolutely no future here while the correct money could buy Allan Saint-Maximin, Javier Manquillo, Jamaal Lascelles, and Karl Darlow. Alternatively, Lascelles could stay like Dummett and Ritchie who have been given that option as a reward for services rendered and contribution in the dressing-room. The players have the final say here.
The controversial decision will naturally surround Maxi. Speculation amongst the faithful has been heightened by Howe's failure to start him a lot this year and the player himself issuing what appeared to be a veiled goodbye just recently.
Certainly if an interested club puts down hard cash in a big enough quantity then I imagine a deal will be done. It would free up money for Howe's spending pot and help the FFP situation. Of course an incoming transfer could easily be concluded from left field which is pretty usual. It is what makes this particular transfer window so fascinating and produces such an impact on a new season. Get it right and the possibilities soar, get it wrong and the fall out can be brutally significant.
