Newcastle United's transformation under Eddie Howe's tutelage has been nothing short of emphatic, and an outfit so resigned to incessant misfortune now look toward the tantalising prospect of sustained silverware on Tyneside.
Following his appointment in November 2021, Howe said: "This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us and I am eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players."
Club co-owner Amanda Staveley said of the former Bournemouth boss: "As well as his obvious achievements with AFC Bournemouth, where he had a transformational impact, he is a passionate and dynamic coach who has clear ideas about taking this team and club forward."
Howe's impact has unequivocally exceeded expectations; last term, the Magpies swiftly took flight and ascended from the Premier League rubble to steer clear of the relegation zone and impressively finish 11th with 49 points.
And this season, the Magpies perch in fifth place in the top-flight after 26 matches with 47 points, only two points away from last season's tally already and just two points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place – despite holding two games in hand.
The progress on the pitch has been emphatic, but it is the diligent work on the transfer front that has paved a steely foundation, and no transfer has been more resounding nor astute than the £10m summer acquisition of goalkeeper Nick Pope from relegated Burnley.
How much is Nick Pope worth now?
Since arriving at St. James's Park, Pope has been an absolute revelation and has already seen his value skyrocket to £26m, as per Football Transfers, at an increase of 160%.
His rise in market value has been laudable, but it is the feats forged on the pitch that have been the most arresting, with the ten-cap Englishman having played 26 matches in the Premier League and kept a league-high 12 clean sheets, level with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale.
The Toon have also conceded the Premier League's fewest goals this season, shipping just 19 times thus far, and while some claims that the defence play the defining role could be made, Pope's ranking among the top 5% of goalkeepers in Europe for save percentage, as per FBref, his "world-class" aura – as hailed by Carl Kinsella, is aptly illustrated.
The £60k-per-week star has been one of the shrewder acquisitions on the shot-stopping front for Champions League-chasing outfits in English football over the past several years, with Manchester City signing Ederson for £35m, Liverpool clinching Alisson for £67m and Chelsea signing Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world-record £71.6m.
With the 30-year-old sure to maintain his role between the sticks over the coming years, his value will only continue to grow, and Howe can rest easy knowing he has pulled off one of the most remarkable and shrewdest coups in Newcastle's recent history.