Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is hoping Kieran Trippier will pave the way for further key January signings after insisting he has not joined the club for the money.
The 31-year-old England defender became the first arrival of the club's new Saudi-funded recruitment drive when he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, understood to be in the region of #12million plus add-ons, on Friday.
Trippier's capture from LaLiga title holders Atletico Madrid by a club battling for its Premier League life may be eye-catching in many respects, but head coach Howe is hoping it will not be the last as he attempts to re-shape his squad for both short and long-term objectives.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's FA Cup third round clash with League One Cambridge, he said: "It's a sign that the club has a huge pull - and I'm not talking financial here.
"Kieran hasn't come for the financial benefits of the contract. He's come for the club and for the challenge that the team faces at the current time, but also the longer-term vision, so I think that's a massive thing for the football club.
"Hopefully with his signing, other players around the world will potentially look at that and share his dream and his vision for what he sees. That's a big thing for us."
Newcastle's new-found riches - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund holds an 80 per cent stake in the Amanda Staveley-led consortium which bought out Mike Ashley in October last year - have seen the club linked with a bewildering list of potential targets in recent weeks.
Howe declined to comment on individual players, with Lille defender Sven Botman, Everton's Lucas Digne, Burnley's James Tarkowski and Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey among those to have been touted as possible signings, but admitted he remains hopeful of further additions.
Asked if he was confident, he replied: "Yes, I'd say at this moment I am. But we're in the hands of clubs selling players, we're in the hands of agents and players wanting to come.
"There are no guarantees. It might sound simple from the outside; it's very, very different when you're on the inside, so I'm confident, but there are no promises."
Trippier, who was signed by Howe for former club Burnley during his spell in charge at Turf Moor, won La Liga with Atletico last season but is relishing his return to England's top flight.
"I'm delighted to be joining this fantastic club. I really enjoyed my time in Madrid, but when I became aware of interest from Newcastle United, and having worked with Eddie Howe before, I knew this was where I wanted to be," he said.
"I'm aware there is a lot of work ahead of us, but I know the demands of Premier League well and I know what an amazing club this is with very talented players. I can't wait to get started and I'm excited to step out at St James' Park as a Newcastle player."
The Bury-born full-back finds himself pitched into a top-flight survival battle with Newcastle.
The Magpies sit just one place off the foot of the Premier League table and Howe will hope this is the first of a series of new recruits to help in that fight.
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
We need your consent to load this YouTube contentWe use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
