An overhaul had been on the cards since spring.
In early April, Newcastle confirmed that defender Kieran Trippier would depart at the end of his contract.
At 34, he was nearing the end of his career, yet his exit still hit hard given his influence behind the scenes.
After joining Wolves, the former England international reflected that leaving was emotional because of how much he loved the club and how much it had given him in return.
He said he would always follow Newcastle and wish them well, but sometimes a footballer has to move on, and he felt it was the right moment for both parties.
He also stressed he wanted to depart the right way, showing respect to his team-mates, the club and, above all, the supporters with whom he had a strong bond.
The subsequent sales of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham were not especially surprising either, as they allowed Newcastle to comply with financial rules and reinvest.
No one inside the club, however, had contemplated losing their talisman, Guimaraes.
Despite so often dragging Newcastle through tough moments, even the tireless midfielder sank to the turf, unfastened his boots before the physio arrived and stared at the bench to come off during the final-day defeat at Fulham last season.
That scene encapsulated a bruising league campaign as Newcastle finished 12th—well below the hierarchy’s expectations—and missed out on millions in European revenue.
Unsurprisingly, talk of Guimaraes agreeing a new deal was dismissed by someone involved in his £75m move to Arsenal a few weeks later.
Having already lost Alexander Isak to Liverpool against their wishes last summer, Newcastle ended up parting with a fourth key player in under a year.
They also failed to land top targets Victor Munoz and Johan Manzambi, who chose Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively.
Even so, those inside the club repeatedly insisted the window should only be judged once it closed.
A senior figure said that one setback wouldn’t make them abandon the plan.
They maintained they stayed on course, kept calm, moved on quickly after disappointments, and pivoted to the next option.