“We will not” - Howe issues new signings plea in transfer update from Singapore

Months ago, Eddie Howe addressed how if Newcastle United were going to succeed next season, then the club would need to act quickly and efficiently in the summer transfer market.

Having gone three consecutive windows without a first team signing, the club had reportedly amassed a healthy war chest of funds and PSR headroom to finally back the manager.

However, with just Anthony Elanga through the door back in early July, it’s looking like we’ll have left Howe down once again on the transfers and squad development front.

And keen to avoid the Champions League disaster of two seasons ago, Howe has publicly stressed how important it is that he and the team have options brought in before the window shuts in a few weeks time.

“We need to do business” - Howe

Speaking to the media ahead of our game against Arsenal in Singapore, Howe has taken the opportunity to address the disaster that has been our summer transfer activity.

Having already seen Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly leave his squad in January, the departures of Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson as senior options has left Howe’s team looking thinner than ever in terms of numbers.

And with only the aforementioned Elanga brought in as a first team signing, it looks like Howe fears a repeat of the 2023/24 campaign where our squad simply couldn’t compete due to the amount of games they had to play.

“We need to bring players in - we need to do business. We need the options and the depth as we found out two years ago with Champions League football.

“We have multiple players we are looking at across multiple positions. But it’s a challenge because prices are going up.

“I hope we can bring in players, and players that make a difference before the window shuts. We will not stop until the window shuts.

“It’s not about numbers, it’s about quality. We have identified the positions, now can we find the quality that make our team better?”

Howe also admitted that we are in “very strong” financial position, although this may not help us land good deals as selling clubs bump up their prices:

"We're in a very strong position financially. We're determined to be successful and we are ambitious."

"We need to add to the squad and continue to improve."

"That's what we all want and are trying to to achieve."

Toon crying out for transfer boost

It’s something we should have perhaps anticipated better, but the state of the current market has not helped Newcastle United in terms of signings this summer.

A lack of affordable Prem-proven options, as well as clubs hiking player prices with a ‘Newcastle tax’, has virtually rendered the rest of the league unable to compete with the ‘Big Six’.

So whilst Howe acknowledges the difficult situation, he knows the recruitment team are hard at work finding options.

And at this stage, it looks like both the gaffer and the fan base just want someone, anyone, through the door, providing they are a good fit.