Eddie Howe's Newcastle United transfer stance after triple success as Paul Mitchell role revealed

Eddie Howe believes Newcastle United need to strike the right balance with their incoming signings despite enjoying success with their recent purchases of young, English stars.

Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are now all Three Lions' internationals after raising their game at St James' Park, with Howe playing a major role in their development in recent seasons. The Newcastle boss, as ever, was keen to play down his role in the trio's meteoric rise but admitted the club had struck gold with these kind of purchases in recent seasons.

As attention turns to the January window, all eyes are on sporting director Paul Mitchell as he attempts to right the wrongs of the summer market with winter additions. The boardroom chief has a stellar recruitment CV, especially when venturing abroad, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Heung-min Son and Toby Alderweireld all arriving in the Premier League under his watch.

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Newcastle have too enjoyed success dipping their toe in the European market in recent windows, with Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman all clear proof of players arriving from the continent and settling rather quickly. So, what does Howe think with the January window looming?

"I think for us there's always a balance and, in my opinion, you need that balance in your recruitment," he told reporters on Friday morning. "It's not about targeting one specific area and saying 'that's where we're gonna recruit from'.

"I think you need an open mind. I'm more than prepared to sign any type of player that we feel benefits the club in the position that we're looking to recruit in.

"I think when you look solely at, say, Tino and Lewis to young fullback. They fall into the same categories really, you know, in the sense that they were developed in England through the system really well by by Chelsea.

"We had an opportunity to sign them early in different stages of their careers, but for me, two such progressive players that will only get better, hopefully with us, with the right attitudes and the right technical base to be exceptional players."

After a summer of uncertainty, Newcastle will be looking for a united January window with collaboration the key word between the many parts of the Magpies' transfer team. Mitchell, who now openly admits arriving midway through a transfer window just a few months ago proved the wrong call, this week also insisted he does not have the final say on transfers as he and Howe attempt to find the right balance between themselves, as well as on the pitch.

“Contrary to common belief, I don’t make the final decision on player trading,” he told a packed STACK crowd during this week's fan event. “No sporting director does, just to put that out there. It’s a collaborative approach.

“Every sporting director and head coach, they collaborate in the final decision. We have to get a higher percentage right and make good decisions for the short, medium and long term. And that’s what we intend to do.”