Eddie Howe demand seems to have been completely ignored as PIF take risk at Newcastle United

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Newcastle United owners PIF are taking a risk in the transfer market only a few weeks after Eddie Howe called for urgent action.

Following the culmination of the best season in Newcastle United’s recent history, Howe made his thoughts on recruitment matters clear.

Indeed, the Newcastle United manager made a demand. Howe wants Newcastle to sign players quickly, but the Newcastle United owners are yet to bring in any players. 

These are of course early days, but watching rival Premier League clubs land new targets is painful considering Newcastle haven’t signed a first-team player since the summer of 2023.

While the owners have certainly earned the right to be trusted, a recent update on their strategy feels like a risk after Howe’s comments. 

• READ MORE: PIF aren’t telling full truth about Newcastle United’s spending power, ‘I’ve seen it first-hand’

PIF taking a risk after Eddie Howe made transfer demand at Newcastle  

PIF believe prices will drop in the transfer market as the summer progresses.

They may prove to be right, but it seems like a gamble. There’s no absolute guarantee that will happen. While it’s promising to know the owners won’t overpay, they will need to spend money at some point.

Granted, it’s a balancing act. Newcastle have around £150million to spend on new players so while hardly insignificant, there isn’t a limitless pot of funds.

However, it is striking that the club have walked away from deals only a few weeks after Howe’s comments.  

• READ MORE: Newcastle United poised to make ‘£400m’ announcement, it’s a ‘game-changer’ as PIF set transfer budget

Bryan Mbeumo was too expensive for Newcastle, while Geordie Boot Boys understands the club would be prepared to walk away from James Trafford talks if the price goes above £30million. 

All of this comes after Howe’s pointed remarks at the end of the season. Speaking after the Everton game in May, he said: “Speed is key for us and I have reiterated that many times internally. Speed is key because we have to be dynamic, we have to be ready to conclude things very quickly because good players don’t hang around for long.

“That’s always been my thought and my message on recruitment really because you can have a period when you think you have time – but then you look around quickly and you see that time has elapsed and you missed opportunities you won’t get again. That’s what we will be trying but the reality of that is it’s not always in your hands – but we will do our best to do things early.”

When Newcastle United signed their first players in 2022 and 2023

There is, however, some precedent in Newcastle acting relatively slowly.

We are still in mid-June of course, and the brief transfer window opened for the Club World Cup has closed again until Monday 16 June 2025. 

In 2022, Newcastle’s first major deal of the summer saw Nick Pope arrive from Burnley on June 23. A year later, Sandro Tonali was the first major addition and that didn’t come until July 3.

Still, while there is no need for panic stations, surely few would doubt that it has been notable that Newcastle are yet to fully act only a few weeks after Howe demanded urgent action.