Chelsea fielded an entirely new starting XI against NUFC last night and ten of them had been linked with a move to St James' Park

Covering Newcastle United for the last few years has been a ride especially when it comes to transfer stories.

We know Chelsea's approach to signing players is the Pokemon method - Gotta Catch 'Em All, so it's no real surprise that their name often pops up as an 'are also interested' in almost every transfer story we cover.

But just to emphasise the point of not only how we're always fishing in the same pond, but how often they get the right bait on their line, the team that Enzo Maresca put out last night contained TEN players that were once linked with Newcastle United.

Not all of the links were rock solid and could be put down to media outlets just farming clicks, but they existed and therefore they're going on the list.

The players starting for Chelsea that were once linked with a move to Newcastle

Filip Jorgensen - Starting in goal was new-signing Filip Jorgensen who was one of the 'keepers Newcastle had in their sights over the summer as a back-up to Giorgi Mamardashvili. How we ended up with John Ruddy and Odysseas Vlachodimas we'll never know. However, looking at Jorgensen's performance last night, it looks like we dodged a bullet.

Axel Disasi - We were linked with Disasi before he moved to Chelsea and after as he struggled to get game time. He must have been regretting his decision so he scored our second goal for us last night. Not really sure what else he did.

Tosin Adarabioyo - Greedy Tosin. The former Fulham man looked to be heading to Tyneside in the summer before performing a U-turn and heading to Chelsea. How's that working out?

Benoit Badiashile - We're not sure how far down the line this one got but there was reported interest before Chelsea swooped and plucked him from Monaco. Another one who is yet to really get up to speed in the Premier League.

Marc Cucurella - Newcastle were linked with taking Sideshow Bob off Chelsea's hands before we picked up Lewis Hall from them instead. A good decision was made. The only player on this list who we weren't linked with before he went to Chelsea, but we were still linked.

Enzo Fernandez - Back in 2022 Newcastle were considering an £88million move for Fernandez with Alan Shearer urging Eddie Howe to go get his man. It seemed more like a media-driven story tan a real possibility.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - I genuinely forgot that we were tracking Dewsbury-Hall at one point. It seemed to unlikely that I don't even think we covered it on this site, but others did, so it counts.

Joao Felix - The Portuguese forward was reportedly offered to Newcastle after his first failed loan spell at Chelsea. We're still scratching our heads as to why he went back for a second go and watching him last night certainly didn't clear that up.

Mykhailo Mudryk - Another player we allegedly battled Chelsea for and another battle we're glad we lost in hindsight. Has never really even threatened to live up to the hype.

Christopher Nkunku - Yet again, a player we were linked with by the media but never really seemed to be any real truth behind it. Nkunku has been very up and down at Chelsea, but honestly, who are we to turn our noses up at a striker right now?

That leaves only Renato Veiga in their starting XI that had not at one point been linked with Newcastle.

We're not sure whether this is more damning on Chelsea, Newcastle or the media's scattergun approach to transfer stories, but watching that game last night there was a lot of wondering 'what if?' and not always in a positive way.