Newcastle United have once again finished a summer transfer window with a very healthy net spend, despite Mike Ashley saying Rafa Benitez could have 'every penny the club generated.'
Despite Benitez spending just £22 million, he has managed to add squad depth and competition for places, which wasn't present last season.
Benitez managed to secure the signing of one of his top targets from the start of the window in Salomon Rondon. On deadline day, the club filed a 'Deal Sheet' to the FA, allowing them to complete the signing of Federico Fernandez after 5pm.
In total, Benitez brought in seven summer additions, including Martin Dubravka, Kenedy, Ki Sung-yueng, Fabian Schär and Yoshinori Muto.
Improved Squad
Benitez has better players at his disposal compared to when the Magpies previously played Tottenham Hotspur at home last season, which must be seen as a positive for the manager and the fans.
However, despite the squad looking better on paper, Benitez has still expressed his disappointment about how the transfer window has panned out.
When speaking to Sky Sports after his sides 4-0 loss to Braga eight days ago he said: "I said two months ago what we needed and 10 days before the season we have four or five we thought we could bring but we haven't and we still are where we are."
A new style
Throughout last season, Benitez wanted to play three central defenders against so-called 'bigger teams' as this would allow more solidity at the back and pace on the counter-attack - those fundamentals helped the club secure an impressive top 10 finish.
With the signings this summer, the Spaniard will be able to utilise this system more through Schär, Fernandez, Muto and Kenedy. That will allow Benitez to play with at least one ball-playing centre-back and pace on the counter with Muto and Kenedy. The Magpies will be able to play more than one system comfortably.
On the cheap
The standard of players that Benitez has brought in is quite exceptional for the budget he has had to work with. He has also has brought in the South Korean captain in Sung-yueng and a Slovakian international in Dubravka.
Two more players that were at the World Cup in Muto and Schär as well as finally getting Kenedy on loan for the full season after attempting to get this deal done for over one year.
With the most expensive player to arrived on Tyneside this costing a mere £9.5 million - Muto - Benitez has saved the club a lot of money, while also bringing in quality players with experience in top leagues and on the international stage.
For many fans, this window is seen as a failure on the surface but the work the manager has done this summer is very good for the club and the squad in the long-term.
That said, more money should have been spent on the first team and a lot of the deals have dragged on longer than they should have - that is what has frustrated the manager and the fans.