Eddie Howe has predicted this summer will be Newcastle United's 'hardest' window yet because the Magpies are now fishing in a 'very small' pond.
Preparations for the upcoming window have stepped up this week after Newcastle qualified for the Champions League. While Howe intends to keep the majority of the group together, the Newcastle boss has quickly set about improving a side who have taken the black-and-whites back to Europe's top table for the first time in 20 years.
That won't necessarily be straightforward because, unlike previous windows, there are now fewer players available within budget who can actually make this side better. While a move to Newcastle may appeal to a number of elite targets, convincing clubs to sell these individuals at an acceptable price won't be easy, either.
READ MORE: Newcastle transfer profile dilemma leaves Eddie Howe 'torn' as summer budget talks pencilled in
You can see why Newcastle's recruitment team have been preparing for the summer for several months now. However, Howe is well-aware that it is difficult to plan for a window because of the unpredictability of the market. Last summer proved as much following failed moves for Hugo Ekitike and James Maddison among others.
"Going into last summer, I had a vision and the reality was different at the end, but I was really pleased at the end when the window shut," the Newcastle head coach told reporters. "I was like, 'We have done some really good work here.' That's going to need to be repeated.
"This will be our hardest window to date. In my mind, there is no doubt about that because the pool of players we have to select from is very small."
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