Newcastle United news: Eddie Howe admits it will be ‘very difficult’ for Newcastle United to use the loan market this month as rivals Aston Villa seal a double transfer move.
Eddie Howe has admitted that it will be ‘very difficult’ for Newcastle United to use the loan market to their advantage during the January transfer window.
Howe’s admission about the struggles the Magpies will face in that market came just hours after it was revealed that Aston Villa had agreed a deal to sign Douglas Luiz on a loan deal until the end of the season. The Brazilian left Villa in the summer of 2024 as the Villans were forced to sell players to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Luiz’s move to Juventus came in the same window that the Magpies were forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively to avoid a potential points deduction. Luiz, though, was never able to solidify himself in Turin and joined Nottingham Forest last summer.
That loan deal, though, will be cut-short so he can move across the country to reunite with Unai Emery at Villa Park. Villa’s move for Luiz comes amid an injury crisis affecting their midfield options with Youri Tielemans the latest man to face a spell on the sidelines after picking up an ankle injury during their win at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Villa have alsosecured the signing of Tammy Abraham from Besiktas. This will be Abraham’s second spell at the Villans after spending a season on-loan there during the 2018/19 campaign.
Eddie Howe makes ‘very difficult’ transfer admission
Newcastle’s defeat to Villa on Sunday left them trailing Emery’s side by 13 points in the Premier League as the top three, including Arsenal and Manchester City, break away from the chasing pack. With five places expected to be available for English clubs in next season’s Champions League, the Magpies know they more than likely have just two spots to battle it out with the rest of the division to ensure they return to European football’s premier competition next year.
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With injury issues of their own to deal with, Newcastle United fans have called on the club to follow Villa’s path in the transfer market and strengthen Howe’s squad before Monday’s transfer deadline. The Magpies are yet to add anyone to their squad this month and as Monday’s 7pm deadline closes in, that possibility is looking slimmer and slimmer with every hour that passes.
Asked specifically about the possibility of utilising loan market ahead of his side’s clash with PSG, Howe said: "It's very difficult to use the loan market effectively for us. There's not too many clubs around the world desperate to help us, due to the fact we're competitors. That's not to say we wouldn't look if it became available.”
Newcastle United know that a win against reigning European champions PSG tonight would guarantee them a place in the Champions League Round of 16. Anything other than a win would see them relying on results elsewhere and more than likely ending the league phase with a two-legged play-off match to play next month for a spot in the last-16.
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