Eddie Howe's two-word response to Newcastle United double signing amid £70m Marc Guehi talks
Eddie Howe has played down Newcastle United’s chances of making two big signings this week.
It has been a frustrating transfer window for Newcastle so far this summer with a lack of major signings. The club are currently locked in talks to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, as they have been throughout the month so far.
The 24-year-old is Newcastle’s top target heading into the final days of the transfer window, which ends on Friday. A right-winger is another position the club have looked to strengthen but there has been little progress in that regard.
Discussing transfers in his pre-match press conference, Howe said: “At the moment keeping players is a success. In terms of incomings, that work is still going on behind the scenes. Everyone is working hard to try and improve the squad.”
When asked if Newcastle could sign both a defender and a winger this week, Howe responded: “Probably not, no.”
The Magpies boss said he was ‘hopeful’ rather than confident of incomings in the final days of the window.
“It only takes one player to make a window a success or failure, however people view it,” he added.
But there could be movement in the goalkeeper position with the club currently having five senior goalkeepers in Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka, Odysseas Vlachodimos, John Ruddy and Mark Gillespie. Pope started the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Sunday with Ruddy named on the bench.
Dubravka missed the trip to the Vitality Stadium due to a concussion while Vlachodimos’ absence was unexplained. The Magpies have also been linked with a late move for James Trafford having previously explored a deal with Burnley earlier in the transfer window.
On the goalkeeper situation, Howe said: “There’s no guarantee [of movement], that is a possibility but nothing is decided.”