The Magpies are on the verge of completing the signing of Malick Thiaw, who will become the third new recruit of the summer following Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale.
But the summer has been overshadowed by Newcastle missing out on a number of leading targets and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Alexander Isak.
Isak continues to train alone and won’t be involved at Aston Villa this weekend, with fresh reports from the Athletic today claiming the 25-year-old is adamant he won’t play for the Magpies again.
Newcastle have today confirmed Isak has again been given the No.14 shirt for the coming season, with Anthony Elanga wearing 20 and Aaron Ramsdale 32. Nick Pope will now wear No.1 and Lewis Hall No.3
Isak is desperate to join Liverpool this summer but the only offer from the Premier League champions so far was £110m, well below Newcastle’s valuation and instantly knocked back.
Liverpool are expected to return with an improved bid if Newcastle manage to sign a replacement, but that has been extremely challenging.
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Samu Aghehowa is one of the strikers in Newcastle’s thinking, but Porto have quoted interested clubs £80m.
Nicolas Jackson is another to have been linked, and reports this week claim the Chelsea striker would favour a move to Newcastle if he was to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
The Magpies are continuing to assess targets in other areas and are said to have registered fresh interest in Jacob Ramsey, with the Aston Villa winger having long been on United’s radar.
It looks set to be a busy end to the window, and Howe insists, despite the obvious challenges, this summer can still be a success.
He said: “Yes, it can. I have said many times in reply to that question, everyone rates transfer windows when the windows shut and gives it, ‘That’s a 10 and that’s a one’
“We didn’t sign many players last summer and everyone said, ‘It’s a disastrous window and PSR is affecting our long-term success’, and we go and have one of the best seasons in recent memory, so signing players doesn’t guarantee everything.
“It can – if you get it right – obviously take your squad forward to a different area. We are in a position where we haven’t recruited for so long, we are very keen to add new stimulus to the group. Change is sometimes a really good thing for the squad.
“But if we had to go with the squad that we have into the season, I would do that very proudly and I’d bank on the lads proving everybody wrong again.”
Howe insists nobody at the club is to blame for Newcastle’s struggles this summer.
He said: “I think the club has been dynamic and proactive. We have tried. There’s been a lot reported, some very accurate and some not so.
“But through no fault of anyone working behind the scenes we haven’t been able to close some deals that at one stage looked very close but just got away from us.
“That can happen to any deal until it’s signed, sealed and delivered. The pool is very small and everyone is fighting for the same players.
“We’ve lost out on a number of deals that could have fallen our way. But when you’re in my shoes you do a lot of work on each target and then you have to go back to the drawing board and do it again, while having in the back of your mind the player you bring in has to make a positive difference.
“That process has happened a number of times and we’ll have to do it again. I have no issue doing it. There’s no guarantees, let’s see what we can do.”
