Sporting director Paul Mitchell needs to deliver for Newcastle United.
2024 was a quiet year in terms of arrivals on Tyneside – in the summer, Newcastle signed Lewis Hall following an initial loan spell and brought in Lloyd Kelly on a free. Other than that, other signings can only be seen as PSR sweeteners and long-term projects.
Mitchell failed to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi despite several attempts to pry him away from the London-based club.
In January, Newcastle have their desired options as Eddie Howe aims to continue their push for European football.
The Magpies sit fifth in the Premier League, just one point off fourth place – one or two new signings could be enough to see them return to the Champions League after being disappointed last season.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 39 | 24 | 15 | 36 |
| 5 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 35 |
| 6 |  Man CityManchester City | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 34 |
With PSR still an issue, Mitchell needs to be cautious and use his experience to find bargains around Europe.
Sadly for Howe and Newcastle fans, recent reports suggest they could be disappointed when the transfer window slams shut in February.
Only injuries will make Newcastle buy in January
The consensus for January is that Newcastle must sell before any purchases can be made. Newcastle need more options in attack, but as it stands it doesn’t look like there won’t be any deals done unless there are particular circumstances.
According to Craig Hope in the Daily Mail, Newcastle are “very unlikely” to have arrivals in January. The only thing that would force Mitchell into the transfer market is if there were injuries.
At the moment, Howe hasn’t got much to worry about with absentees – it’s a completely different story to last season when Newcastle were missing many first-team stars.
There are still some concerns though, Callum Wilson is out with a lingering hamstring issue and Nick Pope is still yet to return from his knee ligament problem.
Thankfully for Howe, Sven Botman is back and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. Emil Krafth is also due to return imminently – he could even feature in Newcastle’s game against Bromley on Sunday.
Newcastle must look elsewhere for players
If Newcastle don’t sign anyone for the first team in January, there’s a big chance their push for Champions League football could be derailed.
The Magpies have Chelsea and Manchester City either side of them in the table. After a poor run of form, the Cityzens look to have put their run of poor form behind them.
Chelsea have improved drastically under Enzo Maresca, they’re also eyeing improvements to their squad. Newcastle must think differently and look to the academy for players who could change their fortunes.
- READ MORE – Where Newcastle United’s academy ranks against Premier League rivals as PIF progress made
Players like Alfie Harrison, Trevan Sanusi, Cathal Heffernan, Travis Hernes and Johnny Emerson all have the potential to play for Newcastle’s first team.
Although ones for the future, there’s still every chance they could play in the Premier League and leave their mark.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
