There has been a noticeable lack of transfer activity at Newcastle this summer.

The club are usually pretty active in the transfer market sniffing out bargain buys.

Toon boss Alan Pardew has revealed today that he is confident that the club can add players to the squad before the summer transfer window shuts.

Shrewd

Newcastle have proved very shrewd in the transfer market in recent seasons. They have picked up some very talented players for relatively low fees. The likes of Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse are just a few players spotted by canny head scout Graham Carr.

The Magpies have built a decent squad with very little investment. Most of the players were brought in from the 2011 sale of striker Andy Carroll to Liverpool. The £35million fee received has gone a long way to strengthen Alan Pardew’s squad.

Surprise

Last season the Magpies were the Premier League’s surprise package, finishing fifth in the Premier League. I’m sure that finish surprised even the most ardent Newcastle fan. It certainly surprised most fans of other clubs around the country.

Depth

For much of last season Newcastle were in the hunt for a place in the Champions League. However, they failed due to fatigue and lack of depth to their squad. The Magpies didn’t have the biggest squad in the English top flight and they paid for it in the end.

Alan Pardew must be hoping that he can add to his already talented squad this summer. Newcastle have been linked with a move for Lille’s French international full-back Mathieu Debuchy. However, the players club seem unwilling to sell.

Business

The French star would be a good signing, but Newcastle won’t pay over the odds for the full-back. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has been criticised in the past. He can’t be criticised for his work in the past 12 months though.

Newcastle are now a successfully run business and those are rare in football these days. I’m sure Newcastle will be bringing in fresh faces this summer, but the club won’t be ripped off and I believe that’s a good way for a football club to be run.

Can Newcastle strengthen their squad ahead of the new season?