"That was definitely something we felt in the market. Domestic clubs didn't want to be seen to be helping us. We'll have to take that, that is part of where we are at the moment." That was Eddie Howe's response in September 2022 when, just days after the transfer window had closed, he was asked if Premier League clubs were starting to see Newcastle United as a threat.
Days, or even hours earlier, Chelsea had shut the door in their face after proposed moves for the likes of Christian Pulisic, Conor Gallagher and Hakim Ziyech. Nobody believed it would be Newcastle finishing fourth months later, while Chelsea lay in 12th.
Howe continued: "We have certainly found there is no-one there ready to do us a favour. It's the narrative regarding us that has changed. If there is anything domestically, teams will put their price up if it is Newcastle. There is a real feeling of us internally knowing we are against everybody else. That is healthy and I would embrace that."
