The last weeks of Newcastle United's summer transfer window was spent pursuing a deal that ultimately proved to be a lost cause. Crystal Palace stood firm and the Magpies baulked at eye-watering demands for England international Marc Guehi.

The Selhurst Park outfit wanted, at one stage, around £70m for their prized centre-back. Newcastle wouldn't go anywhere that fee - and if they had indeed caved and paid up, big outgoings would have been needed to balance the books as soon as feasibly possible.

The pursuit of Guehi has led to confusion as to why Newcastle are keeping their powder dry this month. However, one agent has just reassured worried sections of the St James' Park faithful that Paul Mitchell and his colleagues are very much still on the hunt for top talent.

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“Newcastle were very close to the deal. They even remained one of the favourites, and then was the last to leave the race with City,” Abdukodir Khusanov's agent Gairat Khasbiullin told Championat. “As far as I understand, financial fair play also had an impact. Well, they didn’t have enough time. Perhaps if they had made an offer earlier, they would have had time to come to an agreement.

“Then City put so much pressure on Lens that it was difficult to make a comparable offer. It was also influenced by the fact that the French needed this money.”

Khusanov is a 20-year-old superstar-in-waiting - hence Manchester City signing him for £34m earlier this week. His arrival is part of a £100m+ spree by the champions to get their flailing campaign back on course.

The comments made by the youngster's agent are telling for two reasons. Firstly, Newcastle are clearly still in the market for deals despite expecting to oversee a quiet month of spending.

Khusanov is a signing for the future, while also being up to the task of playing at the top level already. The fact Newcastle were in the mix for such an exciting talent is promising.

Secondly, after being faced with a hefty figure for Guehi - no doubt influenced due to his England exploits over the summer and the fact he plays in the Premier League - Newcastle clearly feel they can find alternative options on the continent. In hindsight, Palace's valuation does look a tad inflated - and Howe's side have already proved they are capable of plucking relatively obscure talent from Europe in cost-effective deals.

There is still a big expectation that the bulk of Newcastle's 2025 business will happen in the summer, rather than this month, but Mitchell is hard at work attempting to find smart moves at the right price for his Champions League-chasing side.