'I wish' - Eddie Howe issues significant Newcastle United transfer update after Celtic hammering
Everything Eddie Howe said on Newcastle United transfers following the 4-0 defeat at Celtic
Eddie Howe insists Newcastle United are still working hard to bring in new signings, despite being hit with several setbacks.
Anthony Elanga, who arrived from Nottingham Forest for £55million, is the only signing so far, with the Magpies missing out a number of top targets.
United held talks with Liam Delap and Joao Pedro but both players opted to join Chelsea from Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, respectively. This week, a club-record £69million bid was tabled for Hugo Ekitike but Newcastle have since walked away from negotiations.
Liverpool are expected to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt striker after being told by Newcastle that Alexander Isak was not for sale.
Earlier in the window, Bryan Mbeumo told the Magpies of his preference to join Manchester United. Another target, Matheus Cunha, has already made the move to Old Trafford.
And now Newcastle risk missing out on long-term target James Trafford with Manchester City interested in signing the goalkeeper.
Howe’s side were beaten 4-0 by Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on Saturday and after the game was the first time the Newcastle boss spoke to the media since. Transfers, as expected, was top of the agenda, as was Isak’s future.
Here’s everything Howe said on transfer as he spoke to the local media - including NewcastleWorld - in the Parkhead media room.
Where do the club stand on potential incomings in the next week or so?
“Yes, I wish I could give you clarity. I wish I could give you some kind of guarantee that all that's going to happen, but I can't. Yes, my wish was for us to do our business early, and we certainly tried, but it wasn't to be. We've had a frustrating time in terms of losing targets to other clubs, and I'd be very open with that.
“That's happened on several occasions. You just have to accept it. In order for a transfer to really work, in my opinion, the player has to be desperate to come to your club, and if we don't get that, the transfer doesn't work.
“We're seeking players that are good enough, that are desperate to come, and that can make the difference but they're on short supply for us.
“We're confident that we can try and get some more players in to strengthen the depth of the squad. We're certainly aware that we need to, and we're trying as hard as we can to do that.”
Are you confident you’ll strengthen the positions you want to by the end of the transfer window?
“Yes, we wanted more. I think, from my perspective when you're going into pre-season, you want your squad together from the first day, and you want to work on everything that you need to work on.
“It's difficult to do that later on in pre-season, because it takes time for our work to feed into the players, but whatever happens, happens, and we have to adapt.
“So, I'm confident we will try our very, very best to do it. I've got no guarantees beyond that, and we're working as hard as we can every day to strengthen the squad.”
With Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson leaving, do you have to replace them?
“Yes, of course. I think whenever you lose a player, it leaves a big hole in those two players. Not just great players, but great personalities. So, that's so fundamentally important to the group.
“We've had success for three and a half years, because we've had good players, but with very good attitudes, desperate to play for the club and be successful. So, whoever comes in has to tick those boxes as well.
“As I say, they're on short supply, and when they are there, other clubs want to keep them. So, as I say, we continue going right to the very end.”
Do you think it's been a question of just maybe the players having other options or not wanting to come, or has it been a kind of financial thing?
“Yes, I'd say financial, of course, plays a huge part. I think anyone who doesn't think that's true is deluded.
“You know, finance, I wouldn't say, is the number one for every player. That'd be wrong to put that on each and every player, every situation's different. But we can't, and we aren't, the biggest players in the league because we don't generate the most income.
“So we have to fall in line with PSR and we have to be very smart with what we do. And so we have to control the wages of the players that we have, and that all plays a part in who we can attract.”
The ambition throughout the club is still there?
“Yeah, the ambition and the work and the, trust me, the work that we've put into loads of things that have had no benefit has been there all through the summer. But we still have to do the right things and go through the right processes. And we have to go for the best players that we can.
“We've hit roadblocks on a number of occasions through no fault of our own. So I've been through that many, many times in my career as a manager. And then you just, I look at it very calmly when it happens because, as I said earlier, the players that you sign have to want to come. And ultimately, if they don't, they're not the right player for us.”