£50m Newcastle United transfer truth and goalkeeper state of play as Eddie Howe prepares for January

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Newcastle United are in the market for players who can improve Eddie Howe's St James' Park dressing room.

The issues that plagued the previous window on Tyneside have been well-documented and heavily debated in recent months as the Magpies missed out on key targets and speculation loomed over an internal power struggle that threatened to derail not only the summer market but the early stages of the Premier League too.

Paul Mitchell, Newcastle's recently-appointed sporting director, admitted the club's pre-existing strategy on transfers had proved tricky to adapt to, prompting a blunt response from Eddie Howe after the window had closed that only added fuel to the fire regarding those aforementioned rumours of discontent behind the scenes.

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However, the dust has more than settled since then and all now appears well as Newcastle's transfer team begin to formulate their new plans for the winter market, with Howe set to offer his input on matters at the back end of this month. With that in mind, Chronicle Live looks at the lay of the land, the possible targets, the club's spending capabilities and more as January creeps ever closer.

The big priority - and Newcastle spending truth

Newcastle have strengthened in every single position bar one since the 2021 takeover - so is it any wonder upgrading at right-wing remains such a popular plan with the St James' Park faithful? Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron, two men who have plied their trade in these parts since before the change of ownership, started the season battling it out for one starting role on that particular flank but, at the time of writing, have both lost out to left-winger Anthony Gordon.

The summer window was filled with speculation - some concrete, some less so - regarding a new, shiny right-sided attacking option arriving on these shores. Newcastle did in fact scour the market for affordable options, with ambitious enquiries made for the likes of Michael Olise and Leroy Sane, but ultimately switched their focus towards the business end of the trading period.

There was also attempts to move Almiron out at the beginning of August as MLS side Charlotte FC came the closest to striking a deal before struggling to meet Newcastle's financial demands, while the player's agent took it upon himself to offer his client's services to former side Atlanta United in the final days of the north American transfer window.

As attention turns to January, Newcastle again find themselves linked with exciting options out on the right. Bryan Mbeumo is the name doing the rounds at present, with Brentford's key man enjoying a strong start to the campaign in west London.

A fee of £50m has been mooted for the Cameroon international and the truth is Newcastle have that type of money to spend, despite keeping a very close eye on their profitability responsibilities. Competition will be fierce for Mbeumo's signature but even if that particular move fails to materialise, you wouldn't bet against Howe's side moving for an alternative target at the start of 2025.

Don't be surprised by a GK arriving

From one area of the pitch that needs to strengthening to one that, on paper, looks pretty well-stocked. Howe currently has five senior goalkeepers on the books on Tyneside - but don't be surprised if Newcastle look for another shot-stopper to arrive, either in January or at the end of the current campaign.

Nick Pope's ranks as one of the best shot stoppers in Europe but his ball-playing ability leaves a lot to be desired. Saturday's win over Arsenal provided a timely reminder of such fact given the former Burnley stopper kept a clean sheet but only completed five of his attempted 28 passes. This, in a side that has ambitions of playing out and building from the back.

Pope, and Martin Dubravka, are getting no younger and there is a feeling behind the scenes that Newcastle could do with an up and coming keeper to offer much-needed competition before eventually taking over the reins as the club's No 1. Many were scratching their heads due to Newcastle's long-held interest in Burnley stopper James Trafford over the summer but the 22-year-old ticks a lot of boxes for Howe.

The youngster honed his passing skills when coming through Manchester City's academy, is homegrown, has international experience, knows Newcastle's youngsters well due to his England youth exploits and fits the profile of a backup goalkeeper who has plenty of room to progress as he enters his peak years. Look at the likes of Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, both of a similar age, who have flourished under Howe.

Trafford has started 11 of Burnley's Championship fixtures this term, keeping six clean sheets. The goalkeeper was called up to England's senior side at the back end of last season and was included in the under-21 setup earlier this term as an unused substitute.

Centre-back interest and Guehi lessons learned

Newcastle's summer ended with the very public failure to land top defensive Marc Guehi after a painstaking amount of time at the negotiating table with Crystal Palace. A move for the England international looked a certainty throughout August but the moving of goalposts in terms of finances and injuries to Guehi's defensive team-mates at Selhurst Park ultimately saw the move collapse.

Newcastle walked away empty-handed, the summer was deemed an underwhelming one despite five signings, and Mitchell had to face the media in early September to explain why his new club couldn't get that - or any - deal over the line to finish the window with a flourish. “If we could have signed a player that we actively felt could make a really good squad better, would we? Of course we would have done," he told journalists at St James' Park in early September.

Mitchell insisted Newcastle did not want to 'overpay' for their desired targets, adding that the 'tax' around the club still remains three years on from the 2021 Saudi takeover. That was one major reason why the Guehi deal failed to materialise - but also shows that there was money to be spent in the summer after the late-June profit and sustainability struggles and the resetting of the rolling three-year spending period.

Months down the line, has the priority changed? Fabian Schar continues to play an ever-present role at centre-back, while Dan Burn has delivered week in, week out alongside his Swiss co-star. Emil Krafth has deputised flawlessly when needed, while Lloyd Kelly recently enjoyed his best outing since arriving in the summer in the win over Chelsea.

With Sven Botman's return rapidly approaching, it is likely Newcastle will switch their focus from defence to attack when January comes around. Even if they are then to return to their initial approach next summer as they seek a long-term replacement for 32-year-old Schar.

Mitchell has extensive contacts on the continent, while Newcastle have vastly expanded their scouting network to cast their eye over a number of foreign leagues as they hunt for potential bargains further afield. That presents the opportunity of striking a left-field, cut-price deal for a European talent, rather than a well-known and expensive household Premier League name.

As for Guehi, he is yet to pen a new deal at Palace which means January, as it stands, will be the last window for the Eagles to offload one of their star players for close to his market value. Newcastle will be aware of that - and a shaky start to the season hasn't changed the view that he could be the answer at the heart of the backline for years to come.

Sales still needed

Newcastle have money to spend but there is a new-found focus on ensuring PSR does not come back to bite the club further down the line as it did in the summer of 2024. Howe, Mitchell and CEO Darren Eales have all spoken on the record of their desire to never again find themselves backed into a corner by the Premier League's financial regulations - and that means becoming better sellers - both in terms of timing and financially.

As mentioned, some key stars, such as Almiron, could have left in the summer, while Callum Wilson's pre-season injury setback derailed any possible exit to one of his many suitors. Meanwhile, Howe has fought tooth and nail to keep Kieran Trippier at the club both in January 2024 and in the summer but the feeling lingers that he will seek one more fresh challenge elsewhere, potentially abroad.

January is a notoriously tricky month to trade in, with players costing a premium and business usually slow given tight budgets and settled squads. There is a significant chance Howe has to say goodbye to some familiar, and popular, faces in the winter market as Newcastle seek to reinvest wisely after two underwhelming windows on the spin.