Newcastle United have made some significant transfers in the past, including the signing of Michael Owen and Andy Cole. With the team currently 12th in the Premier League, 49 pts, 14W-7D-17L from 38 games, and a recent form of LWDWL, manager Eddie Howe will be looking to make some big signings to improve his squad this summer.

What happened?

Newcastle United signed Michael Owen, a Ballon d'Or winner, in a club record £16.8million move from Real Madrid, back in August 2005. Owen had scored 118 goals in 216 league games for Liverpool.

Why it matters for Newcastle United

The signing of Owen was a major deal for Newcastle United, but his debut season was affected by injury problems, which persisted throughout his time at the club. He scored two in his first three games, but missed most of the next season after suffering a serious injury at the 2006 World Cup.

What comes next?

Newcastle United have also been involved in other notable transfers, including the signing of Andy Cole from Bristol City in February 1993 for a club transfer record £1.75m. Cole scored 12 goals in 12 appearances and formed a strong partnership with Peter Beardsley, scoring 34 goals in 40 top-flight games. With the team 36 points behind leaders Arsenal, they need to make smart signings to get back into contention for the Champions League places.