Some people will argue that Eddie Howe is fussy when it comes to signing players for Newcastle United.
The Newcastle United manager is very specific in what he wants, and will not sign a player just for the sake of it. That is not something he has ever been guilty of during his time at St James’ Park.
That theory was put to the test during the summer, as Paul Mitchell aimed to identify an alternative to Marc Guehi. It was proving difficult to land the Crystal Palace centre-back, with Steve Parish driving a hard bargain.
In the end, Mitchell pulled out of a deal to sign Guehi. Meanwhile, an alternative centre-back did not arrive at St James’ Park despite Newcastle desperately needing reinforcements.
How Eddie Howe felt about Newcastle United signing Axel Disasi from Chelsea
That was partially down to Eddie Howe, as he was not keen on one of the alternatives that was floated.
It was reported in August that Newcastle were considering a move for Chelsea’s Axel Disasi. As we all know, that is as far as it went, as the £39million man is still a Chelsea player.
According to the Daily Mail, Howe was against the idea of signing Disasi during the summer transfer window, despite needing a centre-back. Some Newcastle officials wanted to sign the 26-year-old.
It appeared to be a case of Guehi or nothing for Howe, and Newcastle ended the summer with nothing.
Howe obviously did not think Disasi was suited to Newcastle, but he certainly helped the Magpies on Wednesday night. He scored an own goal during Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, while Joelinton gave him a torrid evening on Tyneside.
It was a poor performance from Disasi – the type that will have helped justify Howe’s decision.
The other centre-back that Newcastle opted not to sign
Disasi was perhaps not the only centre-back that Eddie Howe may have had reservations about signing this summer.
Paul Mitchell wanted Newcastle to sign Jean-Clair Todibo, and held talks with Nice about a deal for the French centre-back.
However, some people at Newcastle were not fully convinced about signing Todibo, which resulted in a deal not coming to fruition. I wonder if Howe was one of those who were not convinced…
Todibo ended up signing for West Ham, while Newcastle’s wait for a centre-back goes on.
It may also carry on beyond January, as Newcastle can only afford to sign a winger or a centre-back – not both. It has been claimed that Newcastle’s priority is to sign a winger.
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