Are Newcastle halfway to an Ashley-style transfer strategy?

[BBC] Some of you have been asking via our Newcastle United Ask Me Anything form whether the club's summer transfer window has been reminiscent of the Mike Ashley era. It is a question few would have imagined being asked nearly five years on from the Saudi-led takeover. But this has been a testing 12 months for the project, following the departures of key players Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, and a bruising 12th-placed finish in the Premier League. Rather than aiming to merely preserve their top-flight status though, like in the Ashley era, those at the very top insist Newcastle's long-term ambition remains to consistently compete for the biggest trophies. They are just going to have to plot a different path to get there - and trading will be a key part of that. Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson spoke last week about building a model that "can win", but also one which doesn't lead to Uefa sanctions and the sale of players the club do not want to lose. The hope will be, eventually, that Newcastle's revenues, wage capacity and on-the-field results will be such that they keep apace and hang on to their best players. However, given the financial rules in place, I have always maintained the biggest indicator of the owners' ultimate ambition will be what they do with the club's infrastructure. The wait goes on for an update on the future of St James' Park and the prospect of building a new stadium. But Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson said a few days ago that an announcement on plans for a new state-of-the-art training ground is due "very soon". That should be rather revealing. Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. Find out more here