Eddie Howe spoke to the media this morning ahead of tomorrow’s league cup semi-final first leg at Southampton.
It was an inevitability that Howe would be asked about transfers, with the rumours about an interest in Anthony Gordon swirling around St James’ Park and the potential outgoing of Jonjo Shelvey to Turkey mooted.
When asked about potential incomings, Eddie Howe was as coy as ever, simply saying: “The club are trying. That’s where we are. There’s no positive news to give you.” (Via The Chronicle)
On the surface that’s a worrying statement, but if you look back at the deals we’ve done under the new regime, they all happened under the radar. It’s just not the Newcastle way to announce any business until it’s done, so I’m personally not worried by that statement. It could literally mean they have a player inbound for a medical, but because it’s done signed, sealed and delivered, there’s no update for Howe to give. Or am I just being too positive?
Howe was asked if the transfer window is a distraction, he said: “I try to shift my focus from one to another. My first priority is always the game and the players I have here. Then once that is done, we turn to the transfer market and identify the players we feel who can make the group stronger.”
On Jonjo Shelvey‘s links to Besiktas, Eddie Howe was defiant, saying: “I’ve got no idea where that has come from. “It’s certainly not come from us. Jonjo is a very valued member of the squad.”
Howe went on to talk about a loan move for Karl Darlow, putting the brakes on any talk of a move away at least until after tomorrow’s game: “There’ll be no one going out before tomorrow.
“We assess the squad on a daily basis, and depending on what’s happening, there’s lots of noise and lots of things going on, but we certainly want to keep the squad intact.”