Eddie Howe rules out major Newcastle United transfer as teenage duo targeted
Newcastle United transfers: Eddie Howe has spoken on transfers for the first time this January window.
Eddie Howe has claimed Newcastle United’s transfer business will be heavily influenced by the fitness of his squad this month.
Newcastle have suffered from a defensive injury crisis in recent weeks with Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth all ruled out of action.
The situation has left Newcastle with just two senior centre-backs in Fabian Schar and Malick Thiaw and one full-back in Lewis Hall, who missed the majority of 2025 due to his own injury issues. 19-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley has been filling in at right-back in recent matches, but the current injury problems are expected to clear up in the coming games.
Livramento, Botman and Trippier are all understood to be close to returning from their respective knee, back and hamstring issues. Burn is expected back later in the month while there is no clear return date for Krafth or Lascelles.
Further forward, Anthony Elanga is closing in on a return to fitness, while William Osula is set to remain out for another few weeks.
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Newcastle United’s January transfer strategy
Newcastle have been linked with defensive and midfield additions this transfer window, which would involve bringing summer targets such as AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit or Toulouse’s Dayann Methalie (both 19) forward half a season.
The Magpies have money to spend this month though Howe has warned that the club are still heavily influenced by PSR.
While Newcastle agreed a Premier League record sale which saw Alexander Isak join Liverpool for £130million at the end of the summer transfer window, the club also invested a record £250million into the squad.
When asked what he wants in terms of transfers this month, Howe responded: “Without evading the question, it's about where our squad is at in terms of injuries.
“So if everyone's fit and available, I think we've got a really well-balanced squad and it would be difficult in January to improve that squad. If we don't and we lose players, especially defensively with the game schedule we have in January, then that leaves a totally different opinion. So I think it's based on that.”
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‘A marquee signing’ for NUFC?
Newcastle and Howe know first hand just how transformative a strong January transfer window can be for the club.
The Magpies sat firmly in the relegation zone during the 2022 January transfer window before turning their season around and finishing 11th on the back of a near £100million January spend which saw Trippier, Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood and Matt Targett join the club.
The following year, Newcastle sat in the Champions League places when they splashed out £45million on Anthony Gordon from Everton. Three years on and Gordon remains Newcastle’s most recent major January signing.
The club play their first match of 2026 against Crystal Palace on Sunday, sitting 13th in the table but just four points off the Champions League places.
A so-called ‘marquee signing’ could be the difference that helps Newcastle bridge that gap, but Howe has played down the possibility of that happening.
“'Marquee signing', I don't know quite what that means,” Howe admitted. “I suppose you're taking big financial outlay?
“I don't think that's the desire in this month for various reasons, because I don't think it's a great month necessarily to make that kind of signing.
“Any signing that we do make in this window will restrict our ability to do business in the summer, so I think we've got to be really careful that we make the right decisions for the here and now and for the future.
“We're still in that position where PSR will influence every decision that we make, so that's where we have to be really smart.