Eddie Howe has candidly admitted that there was "no intention" to sign players in January when plans for last summer's window were initially drawn up
Eddie Howe looks on during a press conference
Eddie Howe(Image: Serena Taylor, Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has lifted the lid on how the Magpies altered their January plans last month.
Howe insists that Newcastle's £220million spending spree in summer 2025 resulted in an agreement between the four walls of Benton that the club would not need to sign players in the winter window. It was only when a defensive crisis either side of Christmas - which at one stage had Lewis Miley playing centre-back - that Toon chiefs agreed to look into changes and potential January additions.
In the end, Newcastle have managed to get Dan Burn back up and running after a punctured lung while Sven Botman has shaken off various injuries to stay in contention. But Newcastle still have Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth all sidelined with injuries and are just one or two knocks away from selection issues.
Newcastle will now hope to swerve injury issues but it is understood they are already in the market for a new centre-back, full-back and forward players for next summer. Howe has a remit of trying to sign younger players who have room to develop.
In a candid message on the January window, Howe told reporters: "Yeah, well, the summer just gone (2025). We were preparing for a season probably like no other in a sense of games, and that schedule has been realised.
"So, I think the issue we have is getting injuries to players in one position. That's left us vulnerable. I think there was no intention to recruit in January.
"The summer business was with a view to getting through to next summer."
Newcastle had indicated there was money to spend in January when sporting director Ross Wilson spoke on December 1.
However, Wilson made it clear then that there would be no guarantees and the summer just gone and the second window of 2026 would be factored into any decision making.
Wilson said: "Can we spend in January? Yes. If we want to, we can. I think it’s fairly obvious to everybody given the level of club spend in the summer that we’re not going to do that again in the winter window as well, for a variety of reasons.
"But if we want to spend, we can. Of course, we’ll be creative, of course we’ll be opportunistic as well. But probably the most important thing is that it would have to align with what the summer plan looks like, which is the bigger squad plan. All of those conversations are ongoing."
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