PSR still a big concern for Newcastle United as Eddie Howe lifts lid on club's transfer plans for January
The January transfer window is open, and while Sunday's opponents, Crystal Palace, have wasted no time in strengthening their side, Newcastle United will be taking a more measured approach.
Palace swooped to buy Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur, which is a quality piece of business for them. The winger will be hoping to be involved at St James' Park on Sunday if the move is completed in time today.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are expected to maybe look at adding a full-back and perhaps a midfielder after several reports suggested that the PIF have given the green light to spend this winter.
Even though arguably Newcastle's best-ever transfer window was the January after Eddie Howe took over, they generally prefer to do their business in the summer. That January spending spree was a one-off, given the new ownership and the position of the side at the time.
Eddie Howe now says injuries will determine the business Newcastle does in January
Eddie Howe was asked in his press conference this morning whether Newcastle would be active in January, and while he didn't rule out the club making any additions, he did suggest that they wouldn't be making any 'big' moves.
"We have spent a lot of time talking about PSR and we are back at that time of year again. Marquee signing? I suppose you are talking big financial outlay, I don't think that is the desire this month. Any signing we make in this window will restrict our ability to do business in the summer so we need to make sure we make a smart decision.
"Our injury situation will define what we will do or won't do. If everyone is fit and available we have a really balanced squad. If we lose players, particularly defensively, it leaves us in a different position."
Make your mind up, Eddie
We're not too happy with the second part of that answer from Howe if we're being honest. It was just a couple of weeks ago that he said they wouldn't be throwing money at short-term problems that could create long-term issues, and now he's saying we'll only dip into the market if we have injuries.
The current health of the squad shouldn't be a barometer of whether or not we spend money. The current form of the squad is what matters. If we had the entire squad fit, would you still say that they've been performing at their best this season? We wouldn't.
I know we're not professionals, we're not on the inside, and we don't know the intricacies of how this all works, but as an outsider looking in, it's plain to see that injuries aren't our biggest issue this season. Yes, they contribute, absolutely, but the likes of Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon are fit, but just aren't playing as well as we all know they can.
