Football insider Dean Jones has been sharing his concerns for Newcastle United ahead of the January transfer window on the latest episode of Touchline Talk.
It could be a huge month ahead of the Toon, as they face a season-defining transfer window having played 18 games in the Premier League this season and only winning one so far.
Are optimistic about the January window?
Yes
No
Next month’s window will be the first with the new ownership on Tyneside and Eddie Howe in the dugout at St. James’ Park as the Magpies aim to keep their top-flight status.
The takeover on Tyneside in October prompted a lot of optimism from the fans, with huge financial backing behind the Saudi Arabian-based consortium.
However, January will be a big test for the new owners at Newcastle as they face a potentially tricky market to operate in, and Jones had the following concerns to share ahead of the window:
“It’s just a case of how much success they have. I mean, it’s so difficult to understand, like, where the decision-making is coming from right now that I’m just not convinced that they’ve got a clear strategy to begin the month with.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit scattergun. I’ve said before that I think they’ll end up turning to the foreign market because I think they’re going to find the Premier League clubs too difficult to deal with.”
TIF Thoughts on January at Newcastle…
We are concerned about the months that lie ahead for Newcastle given the dreadful start to the campaign and no real improvement since the arrival of Howe.
January will offer the club a massive opportunity to save their Premier League status, however, they will have to get their decisions spot on if they are to turn around their dreadful form this season.
The Tyneside club are reportedly looking for a new director of football, but they have not been in any rush to find their man as they look to make the right appointment.
However, we are surprised they did not appoint someone before January for the role to provide the new owners with some direction given how important it is for them to get their transfer decisions right.
In other news: ‘The player is not accepting’ – Fabrizio Romano reveals big Newcastle transfer update