Football financial expert gives Newcastle United transfer verdict amid FFP concerns

Football financial expert Kieran Maguire has confirmed Newcastle United have “little room” for new arrivals in the January transfer window.

Supporters have been optimistic about the chances of Eddie Howe adding to his side this month. Newcastle have slumped to ninth in the Premier League and face an uphill task to regain their top-four spot come May.

An influx of new arrivals offers one solution to getting the Magpies back on track, with Toon chiefs having until February 1 to bolster their ranks. However, CEO Darren Eales downplayed suggestions of January investment after the club released their 2023-24 accounts.

"Firstly, January is not the greatest window to trade in,” Eales told NUFC TV. “The summer is always better. I think it's very difficult to get value in the January window because they don't want to let their best players go at such a crucial time.

“We're also in an interesting spot because we've got a number of very good players that have unfortunately been out injured but, in the second half of the season, are going to come back. We're always mindful as well of Financial Fair Play. When it comes to player trading we'll make a decision based on the medium to long-term for the club and does it make sense and that's the way we'll approach it."

Latest figures show that, while Newcastle increased revenues 39 per cent up to £250million, they made a £73.4million loss overall. That is a reflection of the Magpies’ transfer spending since the owners bought the club in October 2021.

Football monetary specialist Maguire noted how Newcastle have leapfrogged most of the Premier League but are restricted transfer-wise until the summer. He posted on social media: “Newcastle are still behind the ‘big six' but have overtaken the rest of other PL clubs. FFP looks ok, but little room for signings.”