According to Chris Waugh of The Athletic, Eddie Howe is approaching the January transfer window with a clear but restrained priority based around refreshing, not reshaping, the squad, and only if the right opportunity emerges in the market.
Waugh reported that Howe’s focus is on “injecting some freshness into a squad and team which are evolving and gaining greater depth,” with the intention of adding “more youth, quality and variety in key areas.”
Howe’s objective, according to Hope, is twofold. The
gaffer wants to help Newcastle United compete across multiple competitions and to lift performance levels after what Waugh describes as a “frustrating Premier League campaign so far.”
However, January is not viewed as a window for dramatic change in Tyneside, with the club keeping in place their policy of going all-in only in summer transfer windows.
“January is not necessarily conducive to significant alterations,” Hope reported, adding that Howe would not want to “conduct widespread squad surgery mid-season.”
According to Hope’s report, Newcastle’s preference is to act only if long-term plans can be accelerated. That approach applies even in the context of Newcastle’s current injury problems. Despite a severely depleted defence, the club is not expected to panic and just abandon its strategy.
“Newcastle will not rush into spending on a short-term fix,” Hope reported, despite the pressure those absences place on Howe’s options. If this winter window mirrors those from the recent past, then Howe is open to moving early. If not, the club will simply wait for the summer to conduct business.
