Financial Fair Play is likely to dictate exactly how much business Newcastle are able to do in the January transfer window.
The Magpies have had a huge amount of injuries to contend with in the 2023/24 campaign, and there’s little doubt that Eddie Howe’s inability to be able to pick a consistent XI has impacted on their chances in the Champions League and an ability to climb up the Premier League table.
We’ll never know just how well the north east giants could’ve done in European football’s premier competition, though there’s little point in Howe, his backroom staff and the players thinking about what might’ve been.
With almost half of the season still to play, there’s still an opportunity to make up ground in the English top-flight, and the right signings now could certainly help in that regard.
Man City’s England international, Kalvin Phillips, has long been linked with either a loan or permanent switch to St. James’ Park, and BBC man, Luke Edwards, speaking on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast, thinks that will happen before the month is out.
“I still think Phillips will end up at Newcastle. I think Juventus dropping out dramatically increases their chances,” he said.
“If you look at the options – Everton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Juventus – Juventus would be the one that would most rival Newcastle for that.
“But I just wonder whether Newcastle are going to have to ship somebody out first. They’d be looking to get rid of squad players. The likes of Paul Dummett, Matt Ritchie, players like Isaac Hayden who’s been out on loan at Standard Liege – I think he’s going to sign for Sheffield United.
“Getting those players off the wage bill perhaps makes that little bit of room to bring him in and pay Kalvin Phillips his wages. There’s stuff there that needs to be done from a Newcastle perspective, which is why I think I keep being told they want him, they like him, they hope it can happen but it’s likely to happen later in the window rather than at the start of it.”