Newcastle United's 3-1 win over Aston Villa saw them end a frustrating month on a high, but that doesn't take away from their failure to welcome a single reinforcement for Eddie Howe, whilst also struggling to offload players so far. With under 48 hours left, the Magpies could now end January with a near identical squad to the one they started with.
Newcastle transfer news
It was always going to be a difficult month for those at St James' Park, who have been walking a fine line when it comes to Financial Fair Play. Whilst investment into the women's team, academy and charity foundation doesn't count towards the final figure, meaning that Newcastle are within the guidelines, a loss of £155m over the space of the last three seasons is hardly reason to celebrate as the Premier League begins to crack down on clubs over profit and sustainability.
Newcastle's CEO Darren Eales admitted that the Magpies may need to sell players before spending big again, saying via The Athletic: "The reality is that when you look at FFP, if you take a step back and look at PSR, there’s ways you can create that headroom. Player churn, it’s counterintuitive, but it’s the nature of the beat that it creates headroom.”
That potential need for sell has seen the likes of Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron all linked with moves away this month, albeit without any deals involving those stars reaching confirmation. What's more, according to Gokmen Ozcan, a deal for Jamaal Lascelles to join Besiktas has now fallen through after the Turkish club reacted negatively to PIF's asking price.
Ozcan posted on X, translated from Turkish: "The book of Jamaal Lascelles in Beşiktaş is closed. The English defender could not receive his transfer fee from Newcastle United. The Premier League team asked for 3 million Euros. Beşiktaş responded negatively."
It now looks as though the Newcastle defender is set to stay put this month, with such little time remaining in the transfer window.
Keeping "unbelievable" Lascelles will prove wise
Whilst Lascelles isn't exactly the number one name on Howe's teamsheet when everyone is fit, he has proven to be a vital squad player amid Newcastle's injury crisis this season. And given that there are just under 48 hours left in the transfer window, it's unlikely that the Magpies would be able to find a replacement with the same experience before the window slams shut.
Sandro Tonali (banned)
31/08/2024
Joelinton
11/05/2024
Nick Pope
13/04/2024
Matt Targett
02/03/2024
Elliot Anderson
28/02/2024
Joe Willock
17/02/2024
Harvey Barnes
10/02/2024
Callum Wilson
10/02/2024
Jamaal Lascelles
03/02/2024
It's clear that Howe is a fan of Lascelles too, saying via The Daily Mail back in July of last year: "He's been an unbelievable captain for us. Captaincy doesn't just exist on the pitch, it has to exist off the pitch. The two things are so intrinsically linked. A lot of our success last year wasn't just down to the team, it came down to a group of players giving everything on and off the pitch.
"There was a group off the pitch that were absolutely magnificent, and Jamaal was one of them. He will want to play but it's how you react that is the key. We move forward together."
