Eddie Howe hints at how much Newcastle United can spend in January transfer window.
Eddie Howe has dismissed suggestions that Newcastle United have a “£65million war chest” in January.
Many have questioned whether the Magpies can splash the cash this winter – pointing towards the failed Marc Guehi pursuit. Newcastle chased the Crystal Palace defender throughout August and were quoted “superstar money” by Eagles chairman Steve Parish.
Reports suggested Toon chiefs offered around £65million for the England star – a bid that was turned down. However, speaking to reporters before the West Ham United clash, Howe claimed that figure was wide of the mark.
“Firstly, I don’t think any bid (for Guehi) reached that level,” he said when asked about the Guehi deal. “That is far in excess of what the reality was. Secondly, with PSR, there is no pot of money that we have sitting there waiting to be spent.
“It’s all about trading in and out and making sure at the end we comply at PSR, and that is the first port of call with us as a football club. We have to comply, as we did last year. Then, of course, we are looking to improve the squad at every opportunity we can and there is a determination from everyone at the club to do that. So it’s about getting that balance right.”
Howe also confirmed that “loose discussions” have taken place regarding the winter window. Once again, the Toon boss stressed the need to comply with FFP/PSR restrictions.
“Loose discussions I would say,” Howe added. “We will sit down in the next couple of weeks and firm up those conversations with a more detailed analysis of where we are going to go, or where we can go.
“It’s not as straightforward as maybe everyone will think it’s going to be, this is going to be a complex window for us. There are lots of decisions to make in lots of different ways. We are always mindful of the fact we have to comply with PSR.”
