Newcastle United have a history of shrewd free agent signings

Newcastle United have endured a turbulent transfer window so far, with significant departures and arrivals in the north east. Eddie Howe's side had a disappointing campaign last season, finishing 12th in the Premier League.

There were some standout displays in the Champions League, but the Magpies ultimately came away empty-handed in terms of silverware. Supporters have also been left disheartened as several key figures have headed for the exit at St James' Park this summer.

Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali have all departed for new clubs across Spain and England. Bruno Guimaraes has also been linked with a surprise switch to Arsenal this summer, adding to the growing frustration amongst an already deflated fanbase.

Howe has bolstered his squad following these departures, bringing in Ewen Jaouen from Stade de Reims, Bazoumana Touré from TSG Hoffenheim and most recently, Ajax's Sean Steur. While these transfers set the north east club back a combined £83million, the Newcastle boss may well turn to the free agent market to keep the club on a sound financial footing.

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Here, Mirror Football takes a look back at three free agent signings that raised eyebrows at Newcastle.

John Barnes

John Barnes is best remembered for his spell at Liverpool, where he scored 107 goals and provided 92 assists in 117 outings. The left-winger featured in various positions across the forward line and also excelled for England.

Barnes collected 79 caps for his nation after opting to represent the Three Lions over Jamaica. He found the net 11 times and featured at the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 1988 UEFA European Championship.

When he completed a free transfer to Newcastle in 1997, Barnes was 33 years old and approaching the end of his career. The forward was brought in by former team-mate and Magpies manager Sir Kenny Dalglish, and was deployed as a second striker alongside Alan Shearer.

He featured 41 times across two campaigns for the club, netting seven goals and providing one assist. Another free transfer arrived at Charlton Athletic in the January 1999 window, and he failed to find the net during the half-season he spent there.

Barnes ultimately retired with 696 appearances, 178 goals, 103 assists, two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup - all of which came with the Reds.

Ian Rush

Ian Rush was another player who achieved legendary status at Anfield, scoring 339 goals and providing 110 assists across two periods with Liverpool. The striker became an icon for club and country throughout the 1980s and 1990s, collecting 73 caps for Wales and scoring 28 goals.

He joined the Magpies at the same time as Barnes for the same fee - nothing - but spent considerably less time in the north east. Rush made just 14 appearances in black-and-white, finding the net twice and providing one assist.

Shearer reclaimed his spot as Newcastle's top striker upon his return from injury, but Rush did play his part in helping the club reach their first FA Cup final in 24 years - scoring a crucial goal against Everton to secure their passage to Wembley.

The former Wales international didn't claim any silverware with Newcastle but accumulated an impressive haul of honours during his time at Liverpool. He won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, four League Cups and two European Cups.

Jack Colback

Jack Colback made the rare switch from a direct rival to Newcastle, arriving from Sunderland on a free transfer. At the time in 2014, the defensive midfielder acknowledged that "the majority of Sunderland fans will hate me for the rest of my life" for making the move.

However, Colback was tremendously proud to become the first player to cross the divide since Lionel Perez in 1998. He said: "To be able to come to my hometown team is a special move, it feels different to any other move. I'm going to be immensely proud to pull on the black and white shirt. It's a massive club with huge potential."

Across 135 appearances for Sunderland - where he joined as a youngster and progressed through the academy ranks - Colback managed 11 goal contributions in total.

Following his switch to Newcastle, the midfielder's output improved marginally - with five goals and 10 assists - though he went on to make fewer appearances for the Magpies, totalling 102.

Colback subsequently had stints at Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers and even eighth-tier outfit Anstey Nomads earlier this year. The 36-year-old has now retired, having chalked up 56 goal contributions across 490 appearances throughout his career.