Newcastle United need to bring in more signings this window to deal with the added prospect of Champions League football according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.
What is going on at Newcastle United?
The Magpies are preparing for their first season back in the Champions League in two decades.
The club have already made a massive move in the transfer market, bringing in Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from giants AC Milan for a reported fee of £55m. The 23-year-old has been regarded as one of the most promising midfielders in the world for a number of years, even being called the 'next Andrea Pirlo', and is a real coup for Eddie Howe's side.
He remains the club's only senior signing of the window so far, with the Tyneside outfit having missed out on English midfielder James Maddison to Tottenham Hotspur and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool earlier in the window.
Newcastle are still working on deals for other players, with the club close to finalising a move for Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes. Reports have also linked the side with young Portuguese defender Goncalo Inacio, whilst it remains to be seen if the club will reignite their interest in Arsenal fullback Kieran Tierney as the window progresses.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Downie stated that he believes Newcastle have to "bulk up" the squad to deal with the addition of Champions League football, and they won't get away with using the same 14 or 15 players like last campaign.
"I think Newcastle need to add. I think anyone who watched Newcastle will be aware that they got through last season with a very thin squad, they were asking the same 14 or 15 players to go again and again every week.
"They've not just got the Premier League to contend with next season, they've got these Champions League matches as well so it's gonna be a difficult season as well in terms of the amount of games they are going to have to play so they do need to bulk up the squad."
"If they were to sell one or two players, they would then need to go back into the market and reinvest. So I reckon you're probably looking at another three or four players to try and bulk up the squad."
Why do Newcastle need transfers?
Newcastle enjoyed a memorable season last time around, but this time will be a lot tougher if they tried to use the same squad with minimal additions.
Last season, the Magpies were very lucky that their entire first-choice defence was fit for the whole season, with all five of Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, and Fabian Schar all playing over 3000 minutes.
This season with the added fixtures in the Champions League these five will end up in the "red zone" more often and will need to be rested. When you consider that Jamaal Lascelles is the clubs most recognised backup central defender, it makes the interest in Inacio seem obvious and a huge priority.
Unlike last campaign, due to the side's Champions League games, they will often be playing two games a week instead of just one like the majority of last season. In order for the club to achieve what they believe they can across the board next season, proper rotation and quality depth will be required across the board. The expected addition of Barnes would complete the attacking depth as it would leave Howe with six attackers to choose from. Midfield and defence are still areas that seem short in terms of personnel despite the arrival of Tonali so the club's focus should be on addressing those weaknesses.
Many Newcastle fans will be hoping that this upcoming season is just as, if not more, memorable than last season, but they could be left disappointed if the squad isn't filled out enough to properly cope with the demands that playing in the Champions League gives a squad.