Eddie Howe says that Newcastle United's transfer plans remain firmly in place - despite Liverpool striking early in the transfer window and signing Dutchman Cody Gakpo.
The Reds clinched a £40million deal for the World Cup star and unveiled the arrival from PSV Eindhoven ahead of the official opening of business in January. Newcastle had scouted Gakpo previously.
When asked if Liverpool had thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the top-flight, Howe said: "They’ve acted and signed a top player. "Good for them but it doesn’t impact anything from our perspective.
READ MORE: Newcastle have transfer blueprint in place ahead of possible January exits
"We know that people will move in the market, it’ll be interesting to see how January unfolds for a lot of teams this year and see how fluid the market is. Certainly, last year we signed some very good players but we found it a difficult market to manoeuvre in. It’s not an ideal time to do too much business."
Howe also said that Newcastle must be mindful of the summer window too and how FFP might impact them this winter.
He said: "If you’re looking to improve the team, the starting XI as it is if we have no injuries, then that is a challenge in the market currently.
"Again, with an unlimited budget, that might be possible. With a, not that we necessarily have a budget at the moment, but with Financial Fair Play looming and with those restrictions, it’s almost impossible. Then you’re looking at the squad and can you improve the squad?
"Now that’s a different question. Anything we do in January then potentially harms us for the summer. So there is always another window coming up and what you don’t want to do is handcuff yourself for future windows. So there’s a lot to consider."
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