Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe would rather wait for the ideal target, then just sign someone for the sake of it.
That is according to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, who was speaking to This is Futbol about the Magpies’ potential summer transfer business.
Newcastle have thus far signed three players this season in Lille’s Sven Botman, Burnley’s Nick Pope, and Aston Villa’s Matt Targett.
The club’s most recent transfer rumours consist of Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler, Burnley’s Dwight McNeil, and RB Salzburg’s Benjamin Šeško.
But Downie believes that Howe will wait it out for the right player to come through the door at St. James’ Park, rather than waste money on a signing for the sake of it.
“I get the impression Eddie would rather wait than just take someone for the sake of it now.
“If he has to start the season with the squad he’s got, this was a squad that at the end of last season, I think they finished third or fourth in the form table from January onwards.
“Yes, they had a spring in their step after the takeover and the new management team coming in and whatnot, but they had a terrific end to last season.
“They have strengthened the goalkeeping department, and they’ve brought in one of Europe’s most promising central defenders in Sven Botman.
“That was the one area of the team they needed to improve more than anything.
“So, they are in a stronger position.”
TIF Thoughts on Downie’s comments…
We believe that Downie’s comments will secure Newcastle fans in the knowledge that the club are still active in the market, and the transfers being made are going to be in the best interests of the manager.
However, we do feel that with the Premier League kick-off approaching, that the club could do with identifying these targets as quickly as possible, so that they can begin to bed some of the signings into Howe’s system when the season gets underway.