Eddie Howe addresses 'Newcastle tax' in January transfer window

It’s been a busy month of transfer business for Howe and Newcastle as they look to bolster their squad in a bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

So far they have signed Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12million plus add-ons and activated Chris Wood’s £25million release clause at Burnley. They are also set to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon for a reported £33million plus add-ons.

But the club have also encountered their fair share of stumbling blocks this month with moves for the likes of Sven Botman from Lille and Diego Carlos from Sevilla failing to come to fruition.

Deals for each defender looked likely at one stage or another only for the selling clubs to raise their asking price. As a result, Newcastle have effectively walked away from both deals though their interest remains.

The Magpies have also found securing a loan move for Jesse Lingard difficult after Manchester United proposed a £12million bonus should the club avoid relegation.

Such prices have led to a theory that a ‘Newcastle tax’ exists in this window in which clubs are asking for more money from Newcastle than they would from other clubs due to their unfavourable league position and well-documented financial backing.

And it is an issue that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Newcastle head coach.

“Is there a Newcastle tax? There possibly is in all honesty but that's just something we've had to live with and I don't think that will be evident further down the line as we go further into our journey,” Howe said.

Summing up this month’s transfer window, Howe added: “I think it is quite unique the January window for loads of different factors which I won't bore you with.

"This has been a difficult situation for us and we've tried to navigate it in the best way we can, who knows what the last few days will bring.

"All I obviously care about is the players we have here currently representing Newcastle and I think they're in a good place.

"Any additions we make, we have to bring them in and make them fit in quickly to the group and take the team collectively forward.”

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