Newcastle handed transfer reminder as Eddie Howe sees Chelsea's Europe flex

It is the tale of two transfer windows on Sunday afternoon as Newcastle United travel to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side remarkably performing well despite a summer of mass exits and serious spending.

The Blues' chaotic transfer window was well-documented, with Enzo Maresca flooding his side with an array of quality attacking talent, while sanctioning plenty of high-profile exits to stay within the league's profit and sustainability perimeters.

Chelsea spent over £200m on incoming deals, adding to the £1billion-plus already spent by owner Todd Boehly following his arrival in mid-2022. Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jørgensen, Omari Kellyman, Mike Penders, Aarón Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo were welcomed to west London in a summer spending frenzy.

READ MORE:Sean Dyche's Dominic Calvert-Lewin transfer admission after Newcastle United summer interest

READ MORE:Chelsea vs Newcastle predictions made with 'brilliant' United star backed to make the difference

The books were quickly balanced as Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku, Thiago Silva, Ian Maatsen, Omari Hutchinson, Malang Sarr, Hakim Ziyech, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Raheem Sterling, Trevoh Chalobah. Lewis Hall, already on loan at Newcastle, officially departed the club on a permanent basis for a fee of £28m.

The sheer scale of Maresca's options these days was showcased just this week, as the newly-appointed Chelsea chief made 11 changes for the 4-1 win over Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League.

"It is not a mess like it looks from outside, absolutely not," Maresca said days before the transfer window closed. Maybe the former Leicester City boss had a point.

Eddie Howe will have been watching on as Chelsea beat their Greek opponents in Europe this week, flexing their squad depth muscles by making such vast changes in the process. It will no doubt have served as a reminder to the Newcastle chief about his club's own decisions at the time Chelsea were spending so much. Contrast the Blues' summer, and latest win, with the goings on at Newcastle and the difference is night and day.

Howe's latest press conference saw the Newcastle boss confirm Callum Wilson's latest setback, while the Magpies await the return of Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman from their own injury issues. Newcastle are currently using a block of around 16 first-team players each week, with Howe attempting to build momentum with his thin squad after a transfer window that resembled the exact opposite of Chelsea's.

There was no lavish, £200m-plus spend on Tyneside, as Howe welcomed two backup goalkeepers, Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer and an inexperienced striker in William Osula to his ranks after Hall's permanent move was confirmed.

Newcastle began the window attempting to sign then-Fulham star Adarabioyo, who subsequently snubbed the north east outfit for a stay in west London with Chelsea. Had Howe's side confirmed that free transfer early in the window, time and resources could have been shifted elsewhere to try and strengthen the options at his disposal.

Now, the Newcastle chief takes his side to the capital hoping to pick up a big result on the road despite recent struggles away from St James' Park. Howe's men have won just once away from Tyneside this season when coming from behind to beat Wolves at Molineux.