Newcastle transfer news: Eddie Howe’s role in January recruitment

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January recruitment is going to be absolutely pivotal for Eddie Howe and Newcastle.

While the club has been given a lift since the 44-year-old’s arrival, we are still a long way away from survival.

The manager needs new players. He needs multiple reinforcements to give his squad the boost it has needed for years.

The current crop have served Newcastle well, but many of them have depleted in recent years. It’s left the Magpies with an ageing team that is no longer fit for purpose.

The priority will be the defence, with Newcastle currently boasting the leakiest backline in the Premier League. No one has conceded more goals than the Magpies – a whopping 41 from 18 games.

That is something Howe must address in January, but what will his role be during the January transfer window?

All Newcastle targets approved by Eddie Howe ahead of January recruitment drive

According to the Athletic, head of recruitment Steve Nickson is identifying players who Newcastle could sign in January. Those targets are then being approved by Howe.

That’s the most sensible way of doing business next month. The manager needs players he can trust and who he wants to work with. There’s no point bringing in a load of players that the manager doesn’t want simply just to make the numbers up.

While there is a desperate need for new signings, there must not be a sense of panic. That will only lead to mistakes.

Every player that arrives at Newcastle next month must be wanted by the manager, even more so because of our precarious situation.

The Magpies’ recruitment team could very easily sign a multitude of players who aren’t fit for purpose. Lord knows they’ve done it before. In years gone by, we’ve seen managers just get given players. Henri Saivet springs to mind.

Howe has a huge job on his hands. He needs to get more out of the current crop, but he also needs to sign off on the players he wants to arrive at St James’ Park. It’s a delicate balancing act that will define whether or not we survive.