With the January window fast approaching, Eddie Howe is set to sit down with the Newcastle board to discuss transfer plans. Howe is currently putting his depleted squad through their paces in Saudi Arabia, and co-owners, Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, and Jamie Reuben are going to join him and sporting director Dan Ashworth to conduct what could be one of the most important meetings in the new era on Tyneside.
Newcastle’s meteoric rise from relegation certainties to top-four contenders has changed the immediate expectations of all involved at the club and, having made such giant strides in such a short space of time, the decisions made in Riyadh could be crucial.
Last January was the first opportunity for the new owners to invest some much-needed money into the playing squad, and the outcome, as we all know, could not have been much better.
Speaking to the Daily Mail about January plans, Howe said:
‘As a manager, I am always looking to improve the team. I will never sit here and be content – I don’t think that is the right way to manage.
‘My way to take the team to new heights is to improve through the training of the players we have. If we can’t get to a certain level, then we need to find that in the transfer market.
‘In my position, you are keen to sign the best players you can – but those players come at a premium. Botman wasn’t cheap, Alex Isak wasn’t cheap. Those are players who can influence the starting XI.
‘Do we have the finances for that? I do not know. That might impact our options. It is a considerable outlay the club have to find and with FFP, I’m not sure that’s available to us. You have to work within the guidelines of the club.’
Given the restrictions imposed by the Financial Fair Play rules, Howe may be forced to move some players out before bringing any new faces in. Whether or not there will be any business in January, Howe has reiterated his happiness with the squad.
‘We look like, on paper, we have a very strong squad when everyone is fit’, he continued. ‘Everyone is not fit currently, and that has a bearing on what you look to do in January. I am not expecting too much business, whether incoming or outgoing, but it is football and it is January, so it’s unpredictable.’
Prior to last season, the January transfer window had become far from unpredictable for Newcastle fans. So much anticipation and excitement, followed closely by sheer disappointment on Deadline Day.
Things are a little bit different on Tyneside these days, but as our fearless leader said, football and the January transfer window are definitely unpredictable.