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Factors to decide Newcastle United major January transfer window activity now coming into play

1 year ago
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Newcastle United are now at day 16 of the January transfer window.

Exactly halfway through the 31 days of this window, which will end at 11pm on Tuesday 31 January.

Which coincidentally will be around an hour after Newcastle United fans find out if they and the team are off to Wembley or not, as the final whistle of the Carabao Cup second leg against Southampton should be blown around 10pm that night.

Eddie Howe has given a few clues as to what to expect, or not, from this January transfer window.

The Newcastle United head coach stating that unlike the previous two transfer windows, it would be very difficult to bring in a signing who would be expected to instantly improve the first eleven. Eddie Howe indicating though that he hopes / expects to improve the squad with one or more new faces, these squad signings almost certainly set to be young and with their best days ahead of them, ones for the future in starting eleven terms, rather than the here and now.

Eddie Howe also saying about this transfer window, not to expect anything to happen in the early days of January, with he and the club set to wait until later in the window, giving them as much time as possible to assess which areas, if any, need to be strengthened.

This of course hasn’t done anything to reduce the crazy number of claimed imminent new Newcastle United signings, NUFC now finding themselves to be one of the clubs who are used the very most when it comes to trying to get cheap headlines when clearly nothing of substance in the actual ‘story’ when you read it.

As well as the more way out transfer tales, I have no doubt there are some that do have at least some substance, as for sure the recruitment team are going to watch potential signings and talking to agents and potentially other clubs, to see how the land lies just in case they decide to act.

A week ago, I had an article published on The Mag, talking about what I believed were the two big factors which will decide whether there is any major Newcastle United business in this January transfer window.

Firstly, if any of the club’s long range targets becomes available at an enticing price, then Newcastle could / would act, rather than waiting for the summer window.

Secondly, injury.

This is what Eddie Howe had to say on Sunday after Bruno Guimaraes limped off at half-time against Fulham (the original incident / injury happening after 18 minutes but Bruno insisting on carrying on, until forced to accept defeat at the end of the half), then was later seen on crutches with a protective boot on.

“He was in distress and he was worried about his ankle after the game too.

It was a twist but  felt he could carry on until right at the end of the first half, when he signalled (he had) to come off.

“That is never a good sign from our perspective and we will have to get it scanned and checked out, see what the damage is.

“We hope it is not long term but at this moment in time, we don’t know.

“Should he have come off a bit earlier?

“Yes, probably, with hindsight. 

“However, the player wanted to stay on and I always tend to go with the player so long as its not a concussion.

“The players know how difficult the Premier League is and they know their bodies better than I do.

“He was probably limping for five minutes or so at the end of that first half but it is always a difficult one, right on half time, to make a change.

“You like to try to do that in the calm of half time to make a proper decision, he played very well in the first half despite the injury.

“We will see how he is.

“I will assess the injury but we are light in midfield, there is no doubt about that.

“We are missing Elliot Anderson as well, who is another player who can play there, with what we think is a minor calf problem.

“We will get a diagnosis on Bruno’s injury and then make a decision.”

As well as concerns about Bruno Guimaraes and Elliot Anderson, Jonjo Shelvey is already a long-term absentee. His calf injury meaning he isn’t expected back in first team action until late February at the very earliest.

Unless Bruno Guimaraes is found to have just a minimal issue and is expected to miss little or no first team action, then I find it difficult to believe that Eddie Howe and the club won’t respond with a significant move into the transfer market.

The other factor (on top of injuries at NUFC) in terms of other clubs prepared to be realistic on potential transfer fees, does of course become more of an elastic thing, as in, if you have significant injuries and need to bring in a player or two.

Two of the players mentioned most often in recent times have been Leicester pair Youri Tielemans and James Maddison. The Belgium international set to be out of contract at the end of June 2023 and Maddison end of June 2024.

Interesting to see how Leicester would react if Newcastle United were to bid for one of the midfielders, or even both, as some Newcastle fans have speculated!

Leicester are still looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone, 15th and two points clear. However, losing Tielemans for nothing (unless he signs a new deal, which looks very unlikely) in the summer can’t sit well with the Leicester hierarchy.

As for James Maddison, his knee injury has meant he hasn’t been able to play for the Foxes since first picking up the problem on 12 November 2022, although he did temporarily get fit and available, well he was on the subs bench, for some of the England games out in Qatar, though never got on the pitch.

He wasn’t in the matchday squad at the weekend as they lost that massive game to Forest.

So any potential move for Maddison, would surely only happen this month if Newcastle United believed he would be ready to come back and play sometime soon.

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