This is a fatally flawed Newcastle United January transfer window plan

The January transfer window is upon us.

Indeed, we are almost at the halfway point.

The January transfer window running until 7pm on Monday 2 February 2026.

Newcastle United have so far done five deals, all outgoing.

No headline moments as Antonito Cordero has moved on loan to Cadiz, Joe Brayson on loan to Morpeth Town, Ben Parkinson sold to Falkirk. Then most recently, Harrison Ashby and Joe White both going to Bradford City until the end of the season.

Fair to say that none of these five would have been in Eddie Howe’s thoughts, certainly not when it came to first team football this season.

Of course, many Newcastle United fans frustrated at the fact there has been no incoming January transfer window deals for the first team squad, so far.

A lot of what I see and hear from Newcastle fans is fatally flawed for me, when it comes to what they see as a ‘plan’ for this January transfer window.

There are two main reasons why I think this

The first of those is that fans tend to be talking about a desperate need to bring in players to help for the rest of this season, rather than any longer-term strategy.

Second main reason is, exactly who are these players, who are these signings that Newcastle United could and should sign this month?

The comments I see most often, are along the lines of ‘We need to bring in some players this month, especially with the injuries, even just extra bodies on loan.’

As I say, who are these players Eddie Howe should be signing, the online experts/critics rarely, if ever, even try and tackle this ‘small’ issue.

Who are all these great players that other clubs are queuing up to offer to other clubs in the middle of a season? Especially on loan?!!!

Reality is that the players that other clubs are willing to let go this month are the ones who can’t get into their team and they are more than happy to sell, or send out on loan for sizeable fees (and wages to cover).

Brennan Johnson couldn’t get a game for a poor Spurs side and has gone for around £35m and big wages to Palace, Conor Gallagher a similar transfer fee and even bigger wages probably as he joins Spurs, having only had four La Liga starts this season and spending most of it on the bench.

When you factor in the very important detail that these days, Newcastle United are looking to progress in the Champions League AND compete to finish top five in the Premier League, to ensure they are in that competition again next season, it simply takes the level of players to a whole different level, if bringing anybody in this month.

Bringing in bodies, anybody, just for the sake of signing somebody in January, is just beyond daft. Including/especially on loan.

Reality?

The thing is, I don’t think for one second that Eddie Howe and Newcastle United will have any intention at all, of bringing in one or more players, solely to help the rest of this season.

Even if you could magic up a perfect signing to come in on loan, there are only around four months of the season to go and getting anybody up to speed with Eddie Howe and the other players, you are talking at least a month.

Aston Villa spent fortunes on wages and loan fees to bring in Rashford, Disasi and Asensio a year ago, in the hope of a short-term quality fix. They ended up starting only 18 Premier League matches between them and put a serious hole in Villa’s finances, all three sent back to their parent clubs.

I don’t think it is impossible that Newcastle United will sign somebody this January transfer window. However, I think it will be very much along the lines of what some of the more credible journalists have suggested and indeed what Eddie Howe has pointed to.

That if one of the club’s long-term targets becomes available, at the right price, then maybe something could happen now.

Along the lines of when Everton ended up desperately needing to sell Anthony Gordon in January 2023, in a belated and eventually failed attempt at getting back within PSR limits. Newcastle United taking advantage and landing the future England winger for £40m (plus £5m in potential future add-ons), far less than Everton had turned down (£60m+) from Chelsea the previous transfer window.

Even then, despite the sizeable outlay, Anthony Gordon only started three Premier League matches as Newcastle United made sure of top four and Champions League qualification, Gordon getting a fourth PL start in the final game of the season after top four secured, scoring his first NUFC goal in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

If Newcastle United sign anybody this month, it will be a younger player with their best years ahead of them, not a tried and tested first choice experienced player currently appearing for a top Premier League club.

Any matches such a January signing might play this season, would be seen as a bonus, on top of their long-term future that Eddie Howe would have mapped out.

Expensive quick short-term only fixes are not going to happen.

We all know the situation at the back, players out injured. However, Kieran Trippier is now back, with Dan Burn expected to follow him very shortly, we have also discovered that Lewis Miley’s talents go beyond midfield.

It isn’t ideal to have the quality of Tino, Schar and Burn currently out, as well as Krafth who will always give it his all. However, to think it would be straightforward to bring in this month, at a reasonable value for money price, the kind of quality needed to play Champions League and top five Premier League, you are simply playing fantasy football and none of the figures (or thinking) add up.