Newcastle still have not yet made a plan for key part of huge season despite summer warnings

We're just over two weeks beyond the closing of the summer transfer window which was seen by many Newcastle United fans as an epic failure.

While a couple of players were moved on and brought in, the lack of any real big signing that instantly betters the first team was seen as a huge misstep, especially after a January window that saw only Alfie Harrison brought in for the reserves.

The Magpies were had a difficult summer with departures and arrivals at the higher levels of the club which included two popular part-owners departing and a new sporting director arriving in the middle of a transfer window.

Newcastle spent far too long focussing on one target, Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, for whom they were willing to pay £70 million.

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Will Newcastle spend big in January?

That transfer never happened which has led fans to make a common sense leap that it means Newcastle have at least £70 million to spend in January.

However, will they? That's what was asked of Chris Waugh in the latest Q&A for The Athletic.

While Waugh's response was mostly anecdotal or just based on his own feelings, there was one part of his answer that did seem to come from inside the club.

The timing of Paul Mitchell's arrival caused issues with recruitment

Again it comes back to the timing of Paul Mitchell's arrival and the fact that he and Eddie Howe have spent more time talking to the media about what one another had said than actually being able to get on with their jobs.

"When it comes to this January, plans have not even been drawn up. The window closed a little more than a fortnight ago and, with Mitchell and Howe having not spoken over the international break, their blueprint is nowhere close to being finalised."

Mitchell has now started work on implementing his ways at the club and part of that will be discussing how to progress in future transfer windows. There may not be a plan just yet, but surely there will be one by the time January comes around.