Club reporter reveals how many players he thinks we’ll sign this month – & it’s more than most expect..

The Chronicle’s Mark Douglas still believes Newcastle will bring in ‘one or two’ new faces this month – but admits that the club could be set to leave it late in the transfer window once again.

A few arrivals would be more than some expect, with several supporters believing Ashley won’t spend a penny this month, but the fact we’re expected to leave deals until the last minute is infuriating – and more proof for Rafa that Ashley just won’t learn from his mistakes (Slimani?).

With no domestic loan deals left and no real money to spend, it sounds like we’ll be sniffing around for bargains, with Rafa also likely to be using his contacts in a bid to sign someone on loan from one of Europe’s top leagues.

Here’s what Mark Douglas has had to say on the transfer front during his latest piece for the Chronicle:

“If you asked me to place a bet, I’d still wager on one or two new arrivals – one way or another.

“While that has seen many conclude that nothing at all will be done, there are still enquiries and approaches being made by Newcastle – even if nothing, at the moment, is close.

“The simple fact is now that it’s likely to be later in the window when teams have climbed down from their steep valuations and agents and players are prepared to accept less than they are asking at this mid-point in the window.”

It’s a sad sign of the times, but this is where we’re at unfortunately .

Let’s just hope any player we do manage to bring in can have the sort of mid-season impact Dubravka and Kenedy made this time last year. That said, it’s a risky approach and for every Dubravka you get a Doumbia.

Unless we’re prepared to pay big money (which we clearly aren’t given our tedious ‘attempt’ to sign Atlanta’s Almiron), you’ve got to be prepared to risk relegation – and that’s exactly what Ashley’s doing.

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