Eddie Howe cuts a relaxed figure when asked about Newcastle United's prospect in the transfer market these days.
Howe is in an envious position to those who came before him in the United hotseat with strong backing from the club' Saudi backers and the belief that Newcastle chiefs mean it sincerely when they say they are reaching for the top. During the Magpies' festive jaunt to Riyadh, it wasn't just Howe and the players who boarded the SAUDIA Dreamliner that headed from chilly Tyneside to balmy desert conditions.
A 100-strong party of officials flew out to the Middle East with sporting director Dan Ashworth, CEO Darren Eales and CCO Peter Silverstone some of the high-profile passengers who set off for a series of business meetings in the plush PIF buildings in illustrious Riyadh. This all seems a far cry from Mike Ashley's transfer summits in the Orange Tree pub in Totteridge or his service station meetings with Joe Kinnear back in the day.
