NEWCASTLE UNITED remain in discussions for England international Marc Guehi, but Eddie Howe insists the club are prepared to walk away if they feel Crystal Palace’s demands for the defender continue to be excessive.
The Magpies have spent most of the last two weeks discussing Guehi’s position with the hierarchy at Selhurst Park, and have had three separate bids turned down for the centre-half.
Further discussions have taken place in the last 24 hours, with the Newcastle hierarchy having lodged yet another offer for Guehi, who Palace continue to value at a minimum of £65m.
Palace chairman Steve Parish insisted earlier this week it would take “superstar money” to prise Guehi from the Eagles, and while Howe remains hopeful of being able to agree a deal, he admits there will come a point where the Magpies have to end discussions if they are failing to make any progress.
“There are two ways to look at it,” said Howe, whose side kick off the new Premier League season against Southampton tomorrow. “If you believe in the deal, believe in the player and it’s still within your financial structure, then yes, 100 per cent, you keep working on it.
“But there are also times where we have to go, ‘Okay, that’s too much’, and we’ve done that plenty of times in the last two-and-a-half years. People might not have found out about that, but we’ve had to switch targets. It depends on the deal and the amount of money that you’re going to spend.”
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Newcastle United formally call off transfer negotiations after failing to agree fee
- Middlesbrough and Newcastle coaching reshuffle as new appointments confirmed
As well as looking to complete a deal for Guehi, Newcastle are also hoping to recruit a new forward to play on the right-hand side this month. However, after talks with Charlotte FC over Miguel Almiron broke down this month, Howe insists the Paraguayan remains an important part of his plans.
“There’s been a lot of speculation with Miggy over the summer, and I’m sure that would have been very difficult for him,” he said. “There was a lot of speculation as he was playing for his country.
“He’s a really valued member of the squad. I’m sure that speculation wouldn’t have been easy for him to manage, but he’s very much with us and we very much value his qualities and what he brings. I hope he has a great season. We’ll work with Miggy to try to get his levels back to where they were two seasons ago, when he was absolutely incredible for us. His commitment, attitude and professionalism are second to none. He’s an important player for us, and we don’t underestimate his qualities in any way.”
There are likely to be departures before the end of the month, but unlike in June, when Newcastle were forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh in order to remain compliant with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, there is no financial imperative to sell anyone else before the end of the month.
“There’s not necessarily financial pressures to lose anybody before the end of this window,” said Howe. “But player trading is key, and we have to trade players out as well as players in. That’s not necessarily in the next two weeks. But certainly, within the next window, that’s what we’ll have to do.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here