Eddie Howe u-turns on Newcastle's summer transfer plans as Magpies "not in the position" to make moves
Eddie Howe has dropped a transfer bombshell on Newcastle United fans, just weeks after urging bosses to be ruthless this summer.
The Newcastle manager spoke earlier this month about how other Premier League clubs will have to sell players this summer, in order to meet the league’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) - which he believed Newcastle could use to their advantage.
But now, even after securing Champions League football for next season, Howe has admitted that he will not be able to sign proven superstars when the transfer window opens next weekend.
The Magpies have not bought a senior player in the last three windows after being forced to sell to meet PSR limits, in the process losing Elliot Anderson, Yankuba Minteh, Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly in the past year.
Speaking to the media, Howe said: “Of course it’s much easier for me to bring in a ready-made, established, world-class player, but I don’t think we’ve done that since I’ve been here because we haven’t been able to financially.
“We’re not in the position of the other clubs, we have to bring them in and then try to make them that. I don’t envisage that changing because of the PSR restraints on us.”
What Newcastle had been able to do before having to rein themselves in was recruit players of genuine quality, but potential to get even better, and the £63m they spent on striker Alexander Isak and the £55m it cost them to bring in Sandro Tonali from AC Milan now look like bargains.
Whether or not they can replicate that this summer remans to be seen, but Howe, who was due to meet chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan to discuss the way forward in the wake of Sunday’s 1-0 final-day defeat by Everton, intents to move quickly.
He said: “Speed is key for us, and I’ve reiterated that many times internally. Speed is key because we have to be dynamic, we have to be ready to conclude things very, very quickly because good players don’t hang around for long.”