Eddie Howe Questions Focus on Newcastle United After Premier League Vote
Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle United, expressed his confusion over the attention being placed on his club following a recent Premier League vote. The vote, which took place at a shareholders meeting in London, rejected a proposal to fast-track a ban on loan moves for players moving into the Premier League between associated clubs during the January transfer window.
The Athletic reported on the outcome of the vote, highlighting that it has implications for clubs like Newcastle. There were speculations that Ruben Neves, who is currently playing for Al Hilal, a club predominantly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), might make a loan move to Newcastle in January. However, The Athletic confirmed that regardless of the vote’s outcome, Neves is not expected to leave Al Hilal in the upcoming transfer window.
Speaking ahead of Newcastle’s upcoming match against Chelsea, Howe expressed his surprise at the focus being solely on his club. He pointed out that other clubs also voted against the proposal and that many Premier League clubs own other clubs around the world. Howe emphasized that Newcastle voted according to their own views and that the outcome of the vote is not a significant concern for them. He mentioned that they have a squad they are satisfied with and that if they can get their injured players back before January, their need for recruitment will be less intense.
When asked about signing players from Saudi Arabia, Howe stated that it is not something they are currently considering. He explained that they did not plan to invest in the January transfer window at the start of the season and any potential signings would depend on the status of their injured players. Howe expressed his preference for making long-term decisions rather than short-term ones unless necessary.
Newcastle currently sits in seventh place in the Premier League standings.
(Photo: Visionhaus/Getty Images)