Report: Newcastle United Considered Re-Signing Player Let Go by Rafa Benitez in 2017

Newcastle United made minimal squad additions, with no major signings at St James’ Park.

Their most expensive acquisition was Odysseas Vlachodimos, arriving for £20 million—a move primarily motivated by PSR regulations.

They also signed Will Osula as a developmental prospect.

Lloyd Kelly joined but is expected to be sold to Juventus in the summer, while John Ruddy arrived as a backup goalkeeper.

However, before finalizing the deal for Ruddy, Newcastle officials explored another option.

Newcastle Considered Tim Krul Return

According to The Athletic, Newcastle United briefly considered re-signing Tim Krul in the spring of 2024.

At that point, Eddie Howe’s side was still in contention for European qualification.

Since Krul is a homegrown player trained by Newcastle, he emerged as a potential backup goalkeeper.

His inclusion would have been beneficial under UEFA regulations, which require four club-trained players in a European squad.

Krul originally joined Newcastle in 2005 at just 17 years old and made 185 appearances for the club.

His time on Tyneside ended in 2017 under Rafa Benitez, following a loan to Brighton that later became permanent.

This marked the conclusion of his 12-year tenure with the Magpies.

Krul’s Thoughts on a Newcastle Return

Given his long-standing connection to the club, it’s reasonable to assume Krul would have been open to returning if an offer had materialized.

In fact, during a 2022 interview, he mentioned expecting to return to Tyneside at some point due to his partner being from the area.

While still playing for Norwich City, Krul stated:

“I always thought I’d move back to Newcastle because my wife is from there, but we really like it here [in Norwich].

You never know in football, as things change daily, but after my career, we’ll definitely settle here.”

Ultimately, with Newcastle failing to qualify for Europe, a return in 2024 did not happen. Now