Paul Mitchell has two big tasks to tend to other than sorting incoming players

It is starting to look like Newcastle United are going to get through the entirety of July without bringing in a single first-team addition.

The four transfer deals that the Magpies have made, other than a couple of youth acquisitions, came before the 1st July with Odysseas Vlachodimos' alleged £20million move coming on 31st June as part of the PSR nightmare.

With just tonight and tomorrow to go in July, the likelihood of Newcastle bringing anybody new in before we hit August is infinitesimal, some might say teenily weenily, we all know words.

The Athletic have today made the claim that despite all of the stories surrounding Malick Thiaw, the club have yet to make a firm offer, which is truly astounding and extremely aggravating.

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Mitchell wants to clear the wage bill and reduce the squad's average age

They also hint that Paul Mitchell has a couple of tasks he'd like to accomplish when it comes to the first team, and those tasks look like they could heavily dictate the incoming business.

Mitchell wants to reduce the average age of the squad and reduce the wage bill. This is essentially a long-winded way of saying we need to sell to buy.

Eddie Howe loves his old guard and is desperate to keep hold of the likes of Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier whereas it seems Mitchell would prefer to move them on while we can still get money for them.

Mitchell and Howe need to put their heads together

We've got to side with Mitchell on this one, but at the same time, he shouldn't be letting this stop him from finding new players and, you know, actually bidding on them!

There was always going to be hurdles to leap over when the new working relationship started, and it is beginning to feel like Mitchell and Howe have different, opposing ideas, but there simply isn't enough time for them to sort this all out before the window closes.

Let's just get through this transfer window, bring in the players that Eddie wants, nay, needs, and then have detailed discussions throughout the season about how the transfer policy is going to work going forward. Then perhaps you can shift the fossils on in January.