Newcastle United opened their chequebook this summer with the arrival of Yankuba Minteh from Danish side Odense Boldklub as they showed their hand for the first time. The Magpies have been some way behind the country's elite clubs in terms of youth recruitment and developing young talent for the first-team.
However, the completion of the takeover in 2021, the fine work done by Eddie Howe and his coaching staff to ensure Champions League qualification, has made St. James' Park a desirable destination once more. A return to Europe's elite competition remained a pipe dream at the start of the recent campaign but supporters' dreams are becoming a reality.
There's still a long way to go until the Toon are rubbing shoulders with Manchester City, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but their clear investment into youth prospects shines a light on their long-term approach. The Toon pipped a number of top clubs to Garang Kuol's signature last season and Minteh has become the latest prospect to move to Tyneside, albeit via Feyenoord to ensure he's able to obtain a work permit.
It's an approach a number of Premier League club's have used well in recent years, with Brighton enjoying notable success last season. The Toon have been linked with a number of club's over recent months amid talk of a multi-club model being implemented, with Belgian side KV Oostende one of a few.
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Rules on work permits have recently changed, but a multi-club model would allow Newcastle to find a way round work permit permutations, but Denmark itself is an unlikely destination, according to Troels Bager Thøgersen, chief editor at Tipsbladet.
"It might work as a feeder club to a feeder club sending players to Newcastle. I did notice the interest in Oostende from PIF.
"Oostende is part of Pacific Media Group's conglomerate of clubs, and so is Danish club Esbjerg where former Newcastle man Elias Sörensen plays. Maybe something could fit together that way. I don't think there is any chance for Newcastle/PIF to get one of the Danish clubs playing regularly in Europe and with internationals that could be interesting.
"I think the very top clubs here in the country don't want to be feeder clubs. But hey, three weeks ago I probably would have laughed if someone suggested that Benzema and maybe Lukaku could move to Saudi Arabia."
The emergence of Scandinavian talents in recent years - Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard to name just two - has seen a number of clubs from across the continent send their scouts over to Norway, Denmark and Sweden with Premier League clubs purchasing those talents further down the line. Borussia Dortmund are a prime example of searching out stars of the future - signing Alexander Isak from AIK in 2016 - while Red Bull Salzburg have enjoyed similar success.
"I think they'll continue to keep an eye on Danish and Scandinavian players because the integration of Scandinavians is normally easier than with almost any other nationalities in the world," added Thøgersen. "There is good work being done at the top teams in Denmark like FC Copenhagen, FC Midtjylland, FC Nordsjaelland and to an extent Brondby, with Odense being in second tier in talent development in my opinion.
"Minteh was bought in Gambia, not developed by Odense. The key is to find the right prospects."
Among those Danish hot prospects and one that has already been linked to Newcastle back in November, is Gustav Isaksen. "Right now, Gustav Isaksen is probably three times the player Yankuba Minteh is," said Thøgersen.
"He is closed to the finished article. Top goalscorer in the Danish league this season, a clever, fast player who challenges defenders and has his clear strengths in a counter attacking side or a team pressing high or in the mid block, creating a large number of quick transitions.
"Isaksen could be a handy player for a team like Newcastle when they face superior teams or play away, but I don't think he'd be a player for the starting line-up. He is definitely on the watch list at more clubs, he has been connected to Liverpool too.
"But there is a difference between being on a shortlist and then actually being transferred. I think right now the more obvious route for Isaksen is to go to Italy, Germany or maybe France, he is likely to be sold this summer.
"But if a Premier League-club shows up with £12-15 million, I am sure FC Midtjylland are ready to listen."
Minteh is undoubtedly a long-term investment but Thøgersen also has doubts over the Gambian's immediate ability. He said: "I was very surprised when I first heard Newcastle were interested, becuase only in certain, limited situations Minteh could be useful right now.
"Minteh has real, if raw, individual qualities. He is fast and has plenty of acceleration, and he really stands out in this department.
"When he has had good games, he has been terrific and has toyed with defenders and entire defences. If, and that is a big if, he continues to get better, he could become a really good player.
"He has to develop a lot in order to be even considered for playing time at Newcastle, and I was not the least surprised when it turned out that Newcastle had already done a deal with Feyenoord to him loaned to the Netherlands right away. Make no mistake: I don't think Minteh will break into Feyenoord's team for many months.
"He is a long-term project, and he needs to learn a lot before he is ready for Feyenoord's starting eleven. The same would probably be true even if he had been transferred to a top team in Denmark like FC Copenhagen – he'd have been a sub at first."
