Eddie Howe issues fresh Newcastle United January transfer update amid Liverpool target question

Eddie Howe says he is “unsure” what the January transfer window will look like for Newcastle United - with Financial Fair Play set to be a big factor.

In the opening two transfer windows under their Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia owners, the Magpies have spent £210million. But as we head into next month, expectations of similar spending are very much being played down.

This time last year, United were in the Premier League relegation places. Now, they’re third with one eye on European qualification come the end of the season. Where does the squad need strengthening and at what cost? Those are the questions being considered behind the scenes.

Asked what to expect from January, Howe said: “I don’t really know, to be honest. We’re in a very different position to where we were last year. We knew we needed to act (last January) and we knew we needed some good numbers through the door to try and lift the group. Now, we’re in a different position.

“Also, we are in a different position with Financial Fair Play than we were last year where we didn’t have a legacy of transfer fees, so we had a gap there we could attack. Not evading your question, but we’re not sure what we want the window to look like because we’re not sure what is going to happen.”

Howe was then asked, ‘if the right deal is there, will you do it? “I’d like to think I’m an honest guy, but I don’t know (whether we can get the right player). Improving our starting XI is very difficult without spending vast sums of money that we don’t have.

“Improving the squad is maybe a different thing, but do we want to improve the squad or do we want to improve the team? There are lots of different things, injuries change things, what can we do with FFP.”

One name that did pop up during Howe’s pre-match press conference ahead of the Boxing Day clash at Leicester City was France international Marcus Thuram. Allan Saint-Maximin said after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth he hopes Newcastle have a chance to bring his close friend to Tyneside.

Howe joked: “Well done, Maxi! He’s a top player. But yeah, no more than that. He’s one that I watched in the World Cup for sure but no one than that.”

Thuram has been strongly linked with Liverpool amid speculation the forward could be available for £10million in January with his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach set to expire in the summer.