Eddie Howe has now denied rumors that Newcastle United are “close” to finalizing a January transfer.

Eddie Howe has now denied rumors that Newcastle United are “close” to finalizing a January transfer.

Eddie Howe has never been particularly forthcoming with reporters regarding his intentions regarding transfers; however, the Newcastle United manager now has the most plausible justification for evading inquiries.

Howe was questioned by the media this morning (via The Northern Echo) regarding the preparations for the January transfer window in anticipation of tomorrow’s match against Ipswich. Despite his significant involvement in transfers, Howe maintained his confidentiality.

However, since Paul Mitchell has assumed responsibility for overseeing the team’s operations in order to enable Howe to concentrate on winning matches, he has an inherent defense mechanism.

One of the things that Howe has done exceptionally well is to manage expectations as we approach the new year transfer window.

He has also delivered the rhetoric that “we have no money because of PSR” with precision. Eddie Howe employs Paul Mitchell as his human shield for transfer speculation.

When questioned this morning, Howe did not invoke the “skint” defense; however, he made every effort to conceal himself behind Paul Mitchell. On the other hand, Howe was exceedingly candid when asked about a particular transaction that has been indicated as being imminent.

This week, it was alleged that Johan Bakayoko was on the brink of agreeing to a transfer to Newcastle in January following his decision to depart PSV. However, Eddie Howe has denied any such rumors.

That is not the case (that an agreement for Bakayoko is imminent). We are not in the process of finalizing any transfer or securing any player. In my opinion, the discussions have been exceedingly informal.

January has not been the subject of many in-depth discussions, which is due to the abundance of activities. “We are limited in our ability to do certain things, and our primary concern is the matches.”

Therefore, I am of the opinion that it is not our primary concern at this time, and it certainly is not mine. However, we are cognizant of the fact that January is rapidly approaching and that we must be prepared and responsive.