Newcastle United look set to do business in the January transfer window but Eddie Howe will certainly not rush into any decisions as the Magpies attempt to bring in quality rather than quantity
Eddie Howe has warned that Newcastle United have to be ‘very careful’ in January to make decisions for the ‘long-term’ benefit of the club.
The mid-season window opens in just nine days and although Newcastle prefer to do their business in the summer, the Magpies look will act if the right opportunity becomes available. Newcastle typically plan for a window several months in advance, but January can be an unpredictable trading period and much will depend on whether the club’s crippling injury situation eases in the coming weeks.
A whopping 11 players are currently absent, including the suspended Sandro Tonali, who won’t play again until August, and Howe is assessing his squad on a daily basis to see where there are potential gaps. It goes without saying that lengthy discussions with the club’s medical team on the potential return dates of Nick Pope, Joe Willock, Harvey Barnes et al will inform Newcastle’s activity in the New Year.
Howe is not expecting any early business, but the Newcastle boss vowed that the club will dip into the market if they ‘see a weakness in the squad in terms of numbers.
“I feel like a broken record,” he smiled. “The January window is always very difficult. It’s an incredibly tough window to sign good players in.
“We did unbelievably well last year to sign Anthony Gordon, who is a top player. Not only a top player for when we signed him, but for the longer term, it was a really good deal.
“There are not too many of those types of transfers flying around so we need to be very careful. Any decision we make has to have long-term benefits to the team and the club.”
