Newcastle United have reportedly set aside a huge sum of money to make a “box-office” statement signing in the January transfer window.
Eddie Howe and co. will be given a hefty January transfer kitty as they look to bring in fresh faces to boost their top-four Premier League push. But Newcastle United will aim for quality, not quantity, on the back of an impressive start to the season. That is according to a report from Football Insider, which claims the Magpies’ hierarchy has put aside a big chunk of money for a blockbuster winter signing.
Eddie Howe’s men currently lie fourth in the table and could well leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur into third if results fall in their favour over the weekend. They currently have the strongest defence in the league, which just hates conceding goals, having shipped just ten goals in 13 games.
The Magpies’ only loss of the season came against Liverpool in controversial fashion, and they have drawn with both Manchester clubs. Newcastle recently earned a statement win over Tottenham to top off their impressive start to the season.
If these stats are anything to go by, and off-the-pitch belief and team spirit combined, they are a force to be reckoned with and a genuine contender for top-four Champions League spots.
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From the looks of things, their elevation into the elite could come much sooner than expected. The Premier League’s big boys might have to start worrying about losing their perennial top-six position. That is because, unlike Leicester City or West Ham United in recent seasons, Newcastle have the financial backing to maintain their assault on the traditional top six and finally buck the trend.
Newcastle United’s owners have been fairly restrained in their transfer dealings thus far and hesitant to pay over the odds. But the rest of the Premier League is aware that a splurge could be on the way, with this also being the last year under the old Financial Fair Play regime.
The club’s smart owners did not want to be held to ransom so kept their powder dry. But they will now look to act in January as they want to enhance their squad at Eddie Howe’s disposal in what seems to be a very opportunistic season to break the old guard, with most of the big guns in transition.
The mantra for Dan Ashworth next year is to focus on quality acquisitions rather than quantity. The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson recently reported that Howe is only keen to “cherry-pick” one or two quality players in January. No major overhaul is envisaged since the club has already brought in eight first-team players in the previous two windows.
Football Insider has now added that the Magpies have cornered a big amount for one high-profile, statement signing; however, the report does not mention who that player may be.
The Tynesiders missed out on a host of top targets this past summer after struggling to strike up deals with the players’ parent clubs. But they could revisit a number of deals in the new year. For instance, James Maddison has been on fire, while the Magpies have been linked with promising young talents such as Mykhaylo Mudryk. It will be fascinating to observe transfer dealings in the next window.
