A GOOD ED FOR TRANSFER BUSINESS

Howe defends his buying record as he prepares to start spending Toon cash

EDDIE HOWE has defended his eye for a transfer deal as Newcastle prepare for a £50million January spending spree.

Rock-bottom Toon are set to hunt for fresh blood abroad, with Atletico Madrid rightback Kieran Trippier a top target, and work the loan market in the new year.

Howe says he has never signed a player he did not want when building at Bournemouth and Burnley.

His record in the transfer market has been questioned, especially with Newcastle poised to spend in the next few windows, and appoint a director of football.

The 43-year-old, who is selfisolating in a Tyneside hotel with Covid, maintains he got more right than he got wrong.

Howe took Bournemouth from the bottom of League

Two to the Premier League without spending more than £3m on a single player.

At Burnley he landed Ben Mee, Trippier, Danny Ings and Junior Stanislas for £2m in total.

His successes on the south coast –

Ryan Fraser (£400k), Harry Arter and Matt Ritchie – arrived from obscurity and were improved. Callum Wilson was signed for just £3m (below left) and was sold for £20m (below right).

Nathan Ake arrived for £20m and doubled his value. David Brooks (£10m) and Arnaud Danjuma (£14m) were hits.

But big money deals for Dominic Solanke (£19m) and Jordon Ibe (£16m) misfired in the Premier League. Jefferson Lerma cost £25m and Diego Rico £11m.

Howe said: “We made some very, very good signings and some signings that weren’t so good. “I never signed a player I didn’t want, but I’d always say it was a collaborative effort. As long as you get more right than wrong, which I felt we did at Bournemouth.

“If you look at the signings as a whole and go through each one individually, I would definitely say that. “Unfortunately the negative ones get highlighted more than the positive ones, but that’s the nature of the beast. “But I do believe it’s a collaborative effort as the demands on my time are huge as a manager.

“You can’t be everywhere, watching targets somewhere else, so that’s where the people bringing the players to you need to do very good.”

Howe will be happy to work with a recruitment chief at St James’ Park but has not discussed the issue with the Saudi owners. He added: “Richard Hughes was the technical director and that role worked really well. It’s essential at the top level you have a structure.

“It’s not my decision what happens above me here, and it’s not my right to make that call, but if it did happen, it’s something I would embrace.”