Eddie Howe sets the record straight on Newcastle trying to sign Marc Guehi

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Throughout the summer transfer window, it felt like Marc Guehi or no one for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United.

He was the top target at St James’ Park, as Paul Mitchell tried to make Marc Guehi one of Newcastle’s most expensive signings ever.

Ultimately, Newcastle United fell short, while the transfer window slammed shut without an alternative centre-back arriving.

Other names were floated. When the Guehi deal was on the rocks, Newcastle were linked with Edmond Tapsoba and Axel Disasi.

But when the plug was pulled on talks with Crystal Palace, Newcastle did not shift their attention to a different centre-back. Geordie Boot Boys were told that Eddie Howe was not convinced by some of the alternative options, as he went in search of a player that would improve his starting XI.

In the end, Newcastle’s starting XI did not improve, and it has been to the club’s detriment so far this season.

Eddie Howe speaks openly on Newcastle’s Marc Guehi interest

But while Newcastle went all in on Marc Guehi, Eddie Howe has insisted that the England international was not the Magpies’ only transfer target.

The Newcastle United manager has spoken to Simon Jordan’s Up Front podcast, where he was asked about failing to sign the 24-year-old defender.

“No, he wasn’t the only target,” he said.

“I think a lot goes on into a summer. You never just have one target. That wouldn’t be right.

“We went into the summer with several targets. We tried to sign two or three other players.

“We didn’t get them. We ended up, ultimately, towards the end of the window, with one target, and we didn’t get him, so that was it.”

Marc Guehi was not the first centre-back Newcastle targeted in the summer

As Howe says, Guehi was the only target by the back end of the summer. He was the one target that was being pursued, and there was real frustration when a deal was not agreed.

However, the summer actually started with Newcastle United targeting another centre-back in Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Magpies signed Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer from Bournemouth, while they tried to strike a similar deal with Tosin.

In fact, Newcastle were confident that Tosin was going to sign, only for Chelsea to hijack the deal and take the defender to Stamford Bridge.

That pretty much ruined Newcastle’s entire summer. If he had arrived on a free, Newcastle’s defence would have been adequately improved. While Tosin is not as good as Guehi, he would have been a good squad addition to compete with Fabian Schar.

And if he had arrived on a free, that would have meant Newcastle could commit their transfer budget towards getting a winger.

But when Tosin went to Chelsea instead, Newcastle were forced to recalibrate. Suddenly it was a centre-back or a winger, and the Magpies decided to go with the former and pursue Guehi.

That pursuit proved to be fruitless, while his future is still up in the air heading into 2025. Newcastle are unlikely to sign Guehi in January, while it is claimed that Paul Mitchell will prioritise signing a right-winger over a centre-back.