Eddie Howe reveals he would love to bring ‘one more player’ to Newcastle this summer… but admits the club will need to be ‘creative’ in their dealings to avoid falling foul of FFP regulations

Eddie Howe has warned Newcastle’s hierarchy they are still one player light, but he has been told the club must be ‘creative’ if they are to make more signings.

The head coach was told at the start of the summer he had a £75million budget to work with, if players were not sold. Allan Saint-Maximin’s £25million move to Saudi Arabia has allowed Howe to add Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento to the early capture of Sandro Tonali, but he still wants another defender.

‘I’d love one more player, that’s what I’d love personally, and I think then we’d have the ideal depth, but let’s wait and see,’ he said.

‘From my position, it is important, it is something I would like to do. But I would adapt and find a way to manage any situation if it’s not ideal. You never get everything that you ideally want.’

Newcastle are looking at centre-backs and have explored fees and availability for the likes of Jean-Clair Todibo (Nice), Edmond Tapsoba (Leverkusen), Odilon Kossounou (Leverkusen), Perr Schuurs (Torino), Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace) and Antonio Silva (Benfica).

Eddie Howe has revealed that he would like to sign another defender before the end of the transfer window

Newcastle boss has embarked a number of potential targets, including Jean-Clair Todibo(left) and Edmond Tapsoba(right)

They watched Todibo for Nice at St James’ Park last weekend and we understand that, while they are impressed by his ability, there are question marks over mentality. 

Tapsoba has been tracked for a long time and Schuurs is a former team-mate of Dutch compatriot Sven Botman. The cost and structure of any deal could dictate which target emerges as the most viable.

Has Howe been given assurances the funds are there?

‘It’s a good question,’ he said. ‘Not 100 per cent, because it depends on the deal and I think we may have to be creative with this last player.’

What does ‘creative’ mean?

‘It means we can’t just go out and slap money on the table and buy a player,’ he said. ‘We don’t have the resources to do that at the moment with FFP restrictions. It’s about trying to find a different way rather than paying money in the here and now.’

Could that be a loan or structured payments?

‘Yes, those types of deals. But they are very difficult deals to do,’ he said.

Howe, though, will not entertain selling another player.

‘The problem with doing that, if you’re talking about selling someone to bring someone in, is that you need to bring in two players,’ he said.

‘If you sell someone with the squad dynamic and the balance that we have, you’ll end up looking for two, and to do one deal in this window has been hard enough. As I sit here now, with the information that I have, I don’t think that is a viable option.’

Howe also confirmed players are locked in a bonus row from a scheme during Mike Ashley’s reign at the club

Meanwhile, Howe has confirmed Mail Sport’s story of his players being locked in talks with the hierarchy over bonuses. The squad have been asked to take a 40 per cent cut on additional incentives set by previous owner Mike Ashley. Howe, though, expects an agreement.

’It is nothing unusual in my experience around this time,’ he said. ‘It is commonplace up and down the land. Yes, there have been discussions between the club and players on bonuses and we hope to reach a swift conclusion.

‘I certainly hope (it won’t affect players). From my view, the job is hard enough without added complication. But I see no issue with the players in that sense. I don’t think it’s right to paint that reflection on the players or the club. We’re trying to find a solution.’