Eddie Howe has admitted that he is wary of Newcastle United being 'handcuffed' by Financial Fair Play restrictions in future windows as the Magpies boss prepares for a 'different' January to a year ago.
Newcastle may be flying high in third place at the moment, of course, but that was certainly not the case 12 months previously when Howe's relegation-threatened side desperately needed reinforcements. Newcastle quickly raced out of the blocks by signing Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid in the first week of the window before Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett all followed.
Those additions were part of a £210m spending spree in the mid-season and summer windows in 2022 and Howe has previously warned that the Magpies do not have the same 'gap' to 'attack' when it comes to Financial Fair Play rules next month. Newcastle's rivals, in contrast, have larger revenues and these sides have already signalled their intent before the window has even opened: Liverpool have signed Cody Gakpo from PSV; Chelsea have bought Molde striker David Datro Fofana; and Arsenal remain in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk to bring in Mykhaylo Mudryk. Newcastle, in contrast, may not strike quite so early this time around.
