'We've decided' - Newcastle United summer transfer window hint after January no-show
Newcastle United have decided to wait until the summer before trying to strengthen the squad again.
Eddie Howe has claimed Newcastle United did not have the financial capabilities to strengthen the squad during the January transfer window.
Supporters hoped Newcastle chiefs would address some of the squad issues that have led to an up-and-down Premier League campaign so far. After 24 games, the Magpies sit 11th in the table, seven points below the top five.
In the past month, Howe’s side have been hit with multiple defensive injuries, with Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth still sidelined, while Jamaal Lascelles was allowed to join Leicester City on a permanent basis.
The midfield has also come into focus with Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley ruled out of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg clash away to Manchester City, and Joelinton set to miss another couple of weeks.
No January incomings at Newcastle United
Asked if Newcastle were ever close to making a winter signing, Howe replied: “No, I think financially it wasn't possible, as I said right at the start of the window. There may have been players that we were looking at that were for the future, younger players that we could develop, but ultimately nothing happened.
“I didn't think there was going to be a player coming in that was going to affect the first team.
“We're working within the financial restrictions that we have during this window. I think I've always said there's a willingness to spend what we can, but, of course, we have to work within the PSR limits and that's what we're trying to do. But then you have to make a decision with what room you have, whether you can find the right player that fits.
“As I say, we have a short-term need. We have a need for someone to come in and play now, especially defensively. but for those players, it costs money and there's a level of funds attached to their ability that we can't reach at the moment.”
Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United ‘risk’ & drops summer transfer window hint
Newcastle head into the second half of the campaign still competing in all four competitions they entered at the start of the campaign.
With injuries becoming a regular occurrence and the fixture list becoming even more demanding, Howe admits the club have taken a risk by not spending in January but insists they had “no other option”.
“A risk? Yes but we were left with no other option really,” said Howe. “Every decision we make has a long-term implication, so there's no guarantee even signing someone with the funds that we had available would help us short-term anyway. So it is what it is.
“We've been used to working in these conditions now for a while. I think we've only been active in one transfer window out of the last four or five, so I think we're under financial restrictions. We have to be really, really smart and we've decided to wait till the summer.
“I think the decision is the summer window is a lot easier to recruit. There's a lot more players available, potentially better value for money, but also the fact that we had a very limited amount of money to use in this window and were the right players available that could help us in the very short term, which we have a need.
“Those options weren't there for us, so we can't sign players that don't exist. We have to work under the conditions that we're in.”