Newcastle United's good start to the season may act as 'ammunition' for Eddie Howe to demand more from the club's owners in the January window if the Magpies remain in the hunt for top-four football. With the Toon Army sitting fourth in the Premier League table and having only lost once this season, attention is turning toward the winter window and how the club's plans may be altered if come January 1st they have kept their form up.
Speaking on The Everything is Black and White Podcast, Chronicle Live's Newcastle United Editor Aaron Stokes believes that while the club will already have a list of players they are targeting, additional incomings could be looked at if European qualification is within reach.
"If Newcastle go into that break and then into January sitting in the top six, it's brilliant ammunition for the owners to go 'look there are funds available.' Howe and Ashworth will already have their targets lined up and we saw last January that they had to spend because they wanted to stay in the league, this time it isn't that necessary but you look at the bench and it's still not where you'd probably want it to be, and you'd want probably one or two signings of real quality just to make that group a little bit stronger.
"If they go into that window in a strong position, it's a little easier to go to the owners and say 'just give us a little bit more money and we can really do something this season.'"
LISTEN TO THE EVERYTHING IS BLACK AND WHITE PODCAST
With Howe very particular over the players he signs - with any new arrival's character just as big a draw as their ability - the question over who the Toon could target this January is an interesting one. Leicester City's James Maddison, a target in the summer, is likely to be one name that is revisited and perhaps no surprise given his form this season in a Foxes' side that has struggled.
It is that very fact, the Foxes' poor start to the season, that Stokes believes Maddison - alongside Bayern Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby - could become realistic targets this January. "Maddison and Diaby are the two names which are going to keep creeping up," he said, "we know Newcastle were very keen in the summer and you'd think with the position they are in and the positions Leicester and Leverkusen are in, they will be two realistic targets if they fork out the cash for them.
"For me, you have to be looking at another attacker. Jacob Murphy has filled in well in the last couple of games and Ryan Fraser has spells but I think if Newcastle can just add one more bit of real quality, they'll have a real attack to be feared."
Yet as noted, the character of any incoming player is crucial to what Howe is trying to achieve at Newcastle - and despite United's good start to the season, Stokes does not believe that approach from the manager will change anytime soon. "He wants players who have the right character. No matter how good they are on the ball, if they're not doing the graft off the ball then I don't think they'll be in his plans.
"We've heard him say back in the summer when they couldn't get bodies over the line that they didn't want to get players in quick, because they wanted to make sure they are the right characters. They're going to need players who have got a lot of energy, who are prepared to do the defending and do the dirty work as well as being good on the ball."
You can listen to The Everything is Black and White Podcast by clicking here. Please remember to like and follow our podcast so you can get all our episodes for free.
READ NEXT
Newcastle have found mentality monster as Jack Grealish insult truth told
Spurs chiefs' Newcastle fear is coming true, Eddie Howe's brilliant team talk and scary truth
Antonio Conte makes draw claim after Spurs boss only saw 'one team' before Newcastle scored
Newcastle send Premier League statement, £10m bargain and Spurs' ultimate compliment - 5 things
