Liverpool striker Alexander Isak and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. (Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool striker Alexander Isak and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. (Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eddie Howe insists Newcastle United’s £130million Premier League record transfer sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool has not solved the club’s PSR problems.
The January transfer window opens in just over a month for Newcastle United and Premier League clubs.
An eventful summer transfer window saw Newcastle agree a Premier League record sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool for £130million while also breaking their own transfer spending record with the purchase of Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart for £65million plus Anthony Elanga for £55million, Yoane Wissa for £55million, Jacob Ramsey for £39million, Malick Thiaw for £35million and Aaron Ramsdale on loan.
Almost three months since the summer transfer window closed, Newcastle are yet to really feel the impact of their new signings considering the money spent. Thiaw has arguably been The Magpies’ most consistent performer so far this season and has been a welcome addition to the squad while Woltemade’s six goals have made him a useful addition in the absence of Isak.
But Wissa is yet to kick a ball due to injury, Elanga is yet to register a goal or an assist and Ramsey and Ramsdale have hardly started any games between them.
Despite the significant spend, Newcastle have struggled in the absence of Isak as they sit 14th in the Premier League table with 15 points after 12 matches, scoring just 13 goals.
Things have gone better in the Champions League with three wins from five matches though Newcastle’s two defeats have came about after not starting with a recognised striker on the pitch against Barcelona and Marseille.
The inconsistent start to the season, characterised by the side’s poor away form, has supporters calling for some more fresh faces in January given the summer transfer window has so far proven unsuccessful for the most part.
The winter window is notoriously slow and quiet for Newcastle. Bar the first transfer window after the takeover, which saw them sign Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes and Matt Targett, the club have made just one major January signing in the three winter windows that have followed with Anthony Gordon joining from Everton in 2023 for £45million.
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Bruno Guimaraes asked about January transfer window
Following the defeat at Marseille, Newcastle captain Guimaraes was asked whether the side were in need of new signings in January.
“I don't know,” he said. “I'm not the man to respond to this. I have to ask the directors, the gaffer, not me.
“I only think I'm sure we have to play better away from home.”
Eddie Howe plays down transfer talk
While the sale of Isak has bolstered Newcastle from a Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules perspective, the club also spent significantly in the summer meaning they have to remain cautious about their spending in the upcoming transfer windows.
That’s according to Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe who, despite being unable to give full clarity on the club’s financial situation, insisted that the suggestion the club’s PSR problems had been solved was ‘far from the case’.
“It's not my field, so I genuinely don't really know where we're at,” Howe said. “PSR is always a factor. I understand that the sentiment will be that selling Alex will have solved all of our problems forever, but that's far from the case.
“It will be ongoing, and while those rules are in place, it will be something that affects us in every window. That will have to be a big consideration for us again."
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