Eddie Howe’s response when asked if club will ‘spend big’ in final weeks of transfer window

Eddie Howe has defended Newcastle’s transfer strategy, confirming that our search for new attackers is all about quality, not quantity.

When asked if Newcastle will spend big on an attacking player over the next few weeks, Howe said this to NUFC TV while speaking to Andy Sixsmith.

“What do you classify as big? What is big these days with the transfer fees we have to pay for players?”

“I think we are competitive in the market. We are trying to bring an attacker in, or someone who can play in the front positions.

He continued: “I think it’s difficult to give a direct answer to the question because the transfer market, as I’ve said many times is so unpredictable. I don’t think the squad will look drastically different [at the end of the window], to be honest, unless something crazy happens which you can never foresee.

“I think we are trying to bring quality in rather than numbers. For me it’s always about trying to impact the team, and I know substitutes will be really important this year, the strength of the squad will be really important this year because we can make five changes. We’ve got to be smart with what money we do have.”

The last line suggests Newcastle are being forced to box smart with what remains of our summer transfer budget, with his first few comments also leading me to believe we may settle for ONE attacking player who is capable of playing in a couple of positions.

However, my main take-away from this is the fact Howe wants quality not quantity, reminding fans once again that it’s about waiting for the right player – not throwing cash in several directions and hoping something sticks.

Let’s hope we can get that breakthrough in the final third over the coming days and weeks!