Eddie Howe has issued a stark warning that he will not offload any of his Newcastle players in the January transfer window unless it aligns with the club's long-term vision.
The Magpies are set to fend off interest from heavyweight clubs like Manchester City, who have their eyes on stars such as Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
As United's coach calls for unity and focus amidst transfer speculation, the team aims to build on their recent success, having netted seven goals across two victorious matches.
Speculation swirls around several players, including Miggy Almiron and Kieran Trippier, as Newcastle look to free up funds for potential signings like PSV's £24million-rated Belgian winger Johan Bakayoko.
Howe emphasised: "Hopefully we won't lose anybody we won't want to lose. I think everything has got to align, I think there has got to be a lot of things that come together. It's got to be right, not just for the here and now but for the future as well."
With goalkeeper Martin Dubravka potentially heading to Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab after a seven-year stint, Howe expressed his disinterest in such rumours, saying: "It's not something that I want to read about or the players to read about."
He reiterated his desire for players to remain concentrated on their performance for Newcastle: "Everyone that is contracted to us here is our player and I want their focus to be on playing well for us for as long as they are here.
"We have so many big games to come, we need everyone focused on what they're doing in the here and now."
When queried about the possibility of players departing from the squad, he shared: "There is always a possibility, I never sit here and say no one will leave but it's got to be in conjunction with what we need from the team's perspective and again, always battling and balancing the long-term future of the club.
"We’ll need to be reactive and ready to do certain things."
Touching on the interest that Almiron has garnered from Wolves and Leicester, Howe remarked: "Miggy’s still absolutely Miggy and I mean that as an absolute compliment – smiley, happy, focused, professional, an unbelievable guy.
"He’s never lacked in anything he’s delivered for us, and I know he’s ready to play if needed. There’s been a lot of speculation over Miggy’s future for a while now.
"But I think all I’d ever say to any player who’s contracted here and absolutely loved like Miggy is, then my only focus is on Miggy being here and showing him the respect that he’s deserved for his contribution to Newcastle."
When pressed if a signing was imminent next month, Howe admitted: "That’s not the reality.
"We’re not close to sealing any transfer or closing in on any player. For me, the discussions about January have been very loose. For me, the focus at the moment is purely on coaching the team."