Inside Newcastle United transfer window as claims PIF didn't want to back Eddie Howe addressed |
Inside Newcastle United transfer window as claims PIF didn't want to back Eddie Howe addressed
Newcastle always knew it would be a tough month and that has proved to be the case
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and sporting director Ross Wilson
As the business day ended at St James' Park, it also indicated the end of the winter transfer window for the Magpies.
The month had started with some hope that a new face could be unveiled before the curtain came down on January business. It ended in a flat manner, with Eddie Howe left to rally the troops he already has.
Howe, Andy Howe, Steve Nickson, and Ross Wilson all had a few ideas, and deals were explored, but Newcastle were also quoted some crazy figures. The verdict was that the options in front of Newcastle, after various avenues were looked at, would not improve the squad.
In short, Newcastle already felt they were paying squad members who could do a better job. Other targets weren't available or didn't want to move in this window, and Newcastle weren't prepared to get into any type of bidding war.
Any theories that PIF or the board did not want to back Howe because of recent results could not be further from the truth, according to Toon sources. Discussions behind the scenes have remained 'cordial' and one agent told Chronicle Live that things were a lot more straight-forward than the days of Dan Ashworth or Paul Mitchell.
For some insiders, Newcastle United's lack of participation in the first trading period of 2026 has been on the cards for at least a couple of weeks now. Once again, the club's main spokesman, Howe, has been straight talking, and while other rivals were able to spend, the head coach has swayed from maybe signing a back-up defender to unlikely in the space of a couple of weeks before any prospect of a deal finally hit the buffers on Saturday night.
When asked if he could hang his hat on signings, Howe offered a simple: "No".
Howe is no stranger to a barren January transfer window or PSR restrictions. He has always been happy to work with what he's got and as he starts to think about the run-in, with 14 Premier League games left, he will feel confident of settling down his squad and getting the best out of some of the summer recruits.
We're yet to see the best of Nick Woltemade, Jacob Ramsey, Yoane Wissa, and Anthony Elanga, meaning there is plenty of scope for them to improve. True, we've seen flashes of magic from Woltemade and Wissa and a few goals, but surely after a £124m investment, there is more to come?
I think even with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton injured, Newcastle still have plenty of cover in midfield with Lewis Miley, Joe Willock, and Jacob Ramsey in the thick of things. And in attack, as proved against Liverpool, Newcastle have many options.
Not only do they have Woltemade, Wissa, and William Osula, but also Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, Elanga, and Harvey Barnes, who can all hold positions somewhere in the front three.
This will not be a window to write a home about by any stretch of the imagination. But it didn't have to be, did it?
When the window opened, Newcastle were in the top six and still firing on all fronts in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League. Even if United bow out of the Carabao against Man City, they are still on the coattails of the European chasers in the Premier League and remain active in the other two competitions.
It is now just a case of the summer recruits and the current crop of players getting their act together. That is what Howe will be trying to do in the next few weeks and in this crucial month.
Howe's team and the current squad simply can't be judged yet as it is mid-season. Realistically, United would have only added a back-up defender this month, and the fact that one hasn't arrived won't make a great deal of difference to the campaign.
It's down to Howe's talented stars and the team's togetherness and team spirit to shine through now.
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