Rivals have forced Newcastle United to pay £22 million more than the going rate for their four buys in the transfer window, exploiting the Magpies' new wealth and desperation to strengthen their squad to avoid relegation.
Owners all over Europe were on high alert when the transfer market reopened at the beginning of January, mindful Newcastle had become the richest football club in the world after the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) became the majority shareholder.
PIF put up the bulk of the £300M takeover of Newcastle United in October, and the fund's £270 billion fortune makes it 11 times more wealth than Manchester City's Sheikh Mansour.