Newcastle United's priority this summer was to always bring in more firepower and it is easy to see why that is still the case in the final two-and-a-half weeks of the window following Saturday's goalless draw at Brighton.
Callum Wilson may have had a goal contentiously disallowed in the 14th minute for a high boot on the towering Lewis Dunk, but Newcastle only mustered a single shot on target at the Amex all afternoon. That was despite Newcastle getting in positions to at least make Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez work, but the visitors lacked the clinical edge to do so.
Take the first half, for example. In the early stages of the game, Allan Saint-Maximin did well to send in a scooped cross from the edge of the area while surrounded by four Brighton players, but the Frenchman's delivery was easily headed away by Dunk as Wilson lurked.
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Then, midway through the half, Miguel Almiron curled a shot over the bar from just inside the box despite having so much space and time to at least hit the target.
A little while later, Wilson shook off two Brighton players inside the centre circle on the break but, with Saint-Maximin marked by three defenders, the striker opted against trying to slip his team-mate in and instead squared the ball to Joe Willock, whose cross was easily blocked.
Newcastle did not get any closer to breaking the deadlock after the break and lacked game-changing alternatives from the bench. That won't come as breaking news to sporting director Dan Ashworth and part-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, who were watching on from the directors' box on Saturday.
However, Howe has repeatedly insisted that Newcastle have to sign the 'right' player, whether that is a permanent deal or a loan, and the Magpies boss only wants to bring in an attacker who can not only enhance his side but who will, also, not disrupt the 'very good feeling' in the dressing room. Newcastle are looking at a very small pool of players and finding the right deal has not been easy as the club look to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations.
After a move fell through for Hugo Ekitike earlier this summer, Newcastle have looked at a number of different profiles, including a striker, right winger and attacking midfielder, and there has been one thing in common: these targets are all game changers in the final third.
Take James Maddison, for instance. Maddison has picked up from where he left off in the Premier League at the end of last season with a goal and an assist in his opening two games despite not necessarily being at his very best. Maddison was quiet enough in the number 10 role against Arsenal on Saturday, but the Leicester star was still a threat even when his side were 3-1 down at the Emirates.
Maddison, of course, likes to drift out to the right, which is one of the many aspects of his game Newcastle like, and the 25-year-old duly popped up with Leicester's second goal from that position. Maddison started and finished the move after playing a slick one-two with Kelechi Iheanacho before squeezing the ball through Aaron Ramsdale's legs from a tight angle.
Ramsdale should have done better, but it was another reminder of how Maddison can affect games at this level. That is why Newcastle's coaching team did not view a move for Maddison as a risk given his vast Premier League experience.
However, it is perhaps telling that Newcastle have not yet returned with a third bid after previously having two offers rejected in a matter of days. Whether Newcastle have now turned their attention to alternatives remains to be seen at a time when a senior Leicester source previously told ChronicleLive the 'manager [Brendan Rodgers] made our position clear - he's not for sale'.
A slightly more affordable option abroad who Newcastle have monitored is Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos. Ramos, like Maddison, also scored on Saturday and the Portuguese's 58th-minute strike ultimately proved the difference in Benfica's 1-0 victory against Casa Pia AC.
It was a typical poacher's finish following Rafa's cutback into the danger area and Ramos coolly took a touch inside the six-yard box under pressure before slotting the ball past goalkeeper Ricardo Batista.
Ramos went home with the man of the match award for his efforts and the 21-year-old's price tag perhaps goes up with every game he plays after he previously scored a hat-trick in a Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland earlier this month. Is it any wonder he is on Newcastle's radar?
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