It's no surprise that Newcastle United are already turning their attention towards the January transfer window after suffering defeats against both Luton Town and Nottingham Forest to sum up a season to forget so far. Out of the Champions League and eight points adrift of the top four in the Premier League, to say that Eddie Howe needs reinforcements would be an understatement.
No matter who the Magpies sign in January, they must avoid a repeat of the mistakes they made during the summer transfer window, which saw them fail to recruit enough depth. That said, this time around, Howe has reportedly identified the positions that he needs PIF to strengthen.
Newcastle transfer news
With Sandro Tonali into his 10-month ban, Newcastle must get things right in January, with the season arguably more than salvageable if the right additions arrive. Those at St James' Park have already suffered the consequences for a lack of squad depth and as injuries continue to pile up, the last thing they need is to suffer another setback in the transfer market. When the window opens in a matter of days, they'll certainly be ones to keep an eye on.
According to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph, Howe wants as many as three new signings in January, with a midfielder and forward the reported priorities alongside another goalkeeper. This follows Nick Pope's injury, which could see him miss the majority of the campaign and there have also been concerns over stand-in Martin Dubravka and his recent form.
Meanwhile, the Magpies still need a replacement for Tonali following his ban and added depth in the forward role. As things stand, Howe has just Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak to call upon, who have both suffered injury setbacks in the current campaign. If the boss gets his wish next month, then the Magpies could rescue their season before it's too late.
Newcastle's mounting injury problems
Whilst failed recruitment has been a large part of their failure, Newcastle's injury list certainly hasn't helped. Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Anfield on New Year's Day, Howe said:
“Of course, we’ve suffered the injuries we’ve had and those players you see aren’t available. I don’t think anyone is coming back in the next few days. It was really good that we had Joelinton return today, he’s been a massive miss for us. And we’ve still got players that are finding their fitness from playing matches, which is never ideal, and there were several players on the pitch today in that respect. We’ve not had it easy, and I think that needs to be acknowledged by me more than anyone else in my reflection of the team.”
Newcastle absentees
Potential Return Date
Sandro Tonali
31/08/2024
Nick Pope
13/04/2024
Jacob Murphy
30/01/2024
Harvey Barnes
30/01/2024
Joe Willock
13/01/2024
Elliot Anderson
13/01/2024
Jamaal Lascelles
No return date
Javier Manquillo
No return date
Matt Targett
No return date
As many as nine absentees, it's fair to say Newcastle's luck hasn't been in so far this season. The January transfer window could change that, however, with Howe identifying three main targets.