Eddie Howe insists Newcastle United are not thinking about the January transfer window yet.
What’s the latest Newcastle United transfer news?
Following the late arrival of Alexander Isak and the subsequent run of good form, it’s easy to forget just how frustrating much of the summer transfer window was.
FFP restrictions and a refusal to overpay for targets led to prolonged periods of inactivity which, while important to the long-term health of the club, were naturally irksome.
Still, while FFP problems are unlikely to go away anytime soon, perhaps this window will be different. Barring a complete collapse in the four Premier League games between now and the January sales opening, Howe’s side will be in contention for a Champions League spot.
As such, there will surely be a temptation to strengthen the squad and make a serious play for it, while even a season in either the Europa or Conference League would be a sign of rapid-fire progress.
While that might sound like tempting fate, it is merely an indication of the level Newcastle have operated at this season.
Howe, however, has stressed no one at the club is thinking about the transfer window just yet.
What has Howe said about January?
Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Southampton on Sunday, the head coach said (via the BBC): “At the moment, we are focussed on three games coming up, then in the break we will look to January and see what our options are.”
What are Newcastle’s January plans?
It is, of course, hard to believe Howe in that respect, though he’s not exactly likely to come out and publicly state the club are ready to spend big in January and that their plans are set in stone.
Newcastle’s recruitment has been well thought out over the past two windows, so the idea of them not working ahead of time – even with the World Cup break in mind – would not be in keeping with the patterns of the new ownership so far.
In September, The Athletic suggested both a new forward and a new central defensive midfielder could be targeted.
