As we edge closer to the January transfer window, a common theme of Eddie Howe’s press conferences are questions around our ability to strengthen this winter.
We tried and failed to sign Marc Guehi over the summer after a series of rejected bids and there’s a belief that our squad has gone a little stale, with issues at centre-back and the right-wing in need of addressing.
Considering the £50-60m bids placed for Crystal Palace’s Guehi just a few months ago, you’d think we had money to spend next month. But, based on Howe’s rather telling comments this morning, the situation is clearly not that simple…somehow.
Howe reveals January transfer reality
Speaking to the media on Friday morning, Eddie Howe admitted that Newcastle United are in for a “quiet” January transfer window unless we “trade players.”
“I keep saying the same thing about January – I wouldn’t expect us to be in a position to be too active in the market. As we currently stand up, things can change. You know, if we trade players, of course that’s different, but if we don’t trade players, I would expect us to be quiet.”
This paints the picture that player sales will be ESSENTIAL if we plan to bring in a new right-winger – PSV’s Johan Bakayoko was heavily linked earlier this week – or look to reignite our interest in Marc Guehi and comes after reports linked Sean Longstaff with a potential exit.
But, once again, you have to question how this is the case when were offering £60m+ for Guehi just a few months ago and launching deadline day bids in excess of £40m for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga. It leaves you questioning PSR and the rules in place (that constantly hold us back) if we must still ‘sell to buy’ when so little was spent over the summer.
Make it make sense? What’s changed since the final few days of the summer, where we were clearly in a position to spend and make sizeable bids without the need to sell.
Wilson’s injury won’t alter plans?
With Callum Wilson facing two months out and Newcastle already light on attacking options, some wonder if we’ll be in the market for a striker in January.
Yes you have to ask questions about summer but let’s think bbc about the the right questions rather than assumptions nufc had £60m+ to spunk away on guehi.
The club have never confirmed they bid £60m ( that’s press figures) but have stated they did not make an offer for the last few weeks of the window after a £55m bid was widely reported. There were never any details of the structure of the offer disclosed ; ie we don’t know if it was the full amount up front etc.
The club have briefed repeatedly that sales are essential.
So my take is the guehi deal they were trying to be opportunistic, got played by CP and should have refocused but irrespective of who might arrive nufc knew they’d be selling in jan or summer 2025.
So nowt’s changed except possibly The order of trading; any investment this year requires sales before end June.
Jonesy(Quote)
Oh and on PSR, I’m going to be controversial and take off my nufc blinkers and suggest PSR might be working to some degree.
That doesn’t take away from my view it’s protectionist BTW. My counter is and always has been that nufc have to learn to play the PSR game until they are in a position of power to shape it.
So here goes.. Putting aside Liverpool ( and chelsea who’s scatter gun finally seems to have landed a reasonable coach) there seems a lot of parity across 10 teams or so. One way of looking at that is it’s competitive. The wrinkle in my assumption is of course one of the elite who can build from a position of power is streets ahead (again)
So yes PSR has flaws (and that the Mancs and Chelsea etc can be so poorly run without censure pi55es me off) but maybe, just maybe the answer is for nufc to figure out how to deal with it ala Villa, Brighton, Brentford, Fulham & forest rather than moan about it.
Right .. nufc blinkers back on .. PSR is unfair and I hate how it’s impacting nufc
Jonesy(Quote)
Simple to get your head around in many respects. 1. There was no confirmation on exactly how much Newcastle had available in summer. 2. They have spent a proportion of that on increased wages and Vaktag Salia. 3. Being labelled the richest club has done Newcastle no favours, so pleading poverty won’t do any harm when negotiating incoming transfers. 4. Newcastle have failed to sell on players when they are past their best or saleable pinnacle, so getting Eddie to sell before he can buy isn’t such a bad thing. 5. Players like Trippier are on big wages that need to be freed up for players that are going to play regularly. Personally I think they have (£40 to 50 mill) enough If they don’t go for the expensive obvious players and sell a few, they can bring in a RW, RCB and CF think Yuri Alberto, Malick Thiaw/Andreas Christensen for combined £45 to 55 million and sell Barnes for a similar priced RW player think Johan Bakayoko /Maghnes Akliouche. They can also throw the PSR dice again and buy now sell before deadline.
1lostandfound(Quote)
At Tottenham under Mitchell it was the same strategy – you have to sell someone before you buy anything. There was no PSR then. It was just his f**king philosophy.
hmd(Quote)
Maybe we should sell SJP to a Saudi owned “sister” company for an extortionate amount. That’d cover us for a few seasons and it’s surely no different to what the American fella did when he bought Chelsea? He sold the club’s assets to himself and the PL let him get away with it. They’d have been £60 odd million over PSR otherwise.
Ian(Quote)
We don’t own SJP
davewallace(Quote)
Jonesy and co should stop whining and understand that prs is a reality not a bunch of whatifery … however Newcastle did offer post 60 million as stated by Palace .. they do have money to spend as they are at the beginning of a 3 year cycle .. this is more about damping down the expectations of the deluded and clubs who want to rip Newcastle off .. under the rules versus income they can spend £100
Million plus each season and stay within the rules .. which the restrictive nature must be challenged in court eventually
Mike(Quote)