Newcastle Manager Eddie Howe Provides Candid Response to Aston Villa Transfer Inquiry in Football Interview
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has denied claims that his side are interested in Aston Villa playmaker Jacob Ramsey. The Magpies have been linked with the England Under-21 international as they look to bolster their midfield ranks ahead of the second half of the season.
Howe’s side have endured a rollercoaster of an opening half to the season, being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and winning just nine of their 21 Premier League matches so far. Newcastle were expected to bring in a few reinforcements this month to ensure that the squad has the necessary depth to push for the European places.
They were linked with Villa star Ramsey on Monday morning, with contact already said to have taken place to discuss the potential terms of a deal. However, Howe has acted quickly to shut down the report with a blunt reply. Asked if there were any truth to the reports, the ex-Bournemouth boss simply replied: “Incorrect.”
The Magpies manager also shut down talks that Matt Targett could be allowed to leave the club to join Celtic on loan, saying: “Incorrect, way off. Matt’s injured. He’s still got some time to go on that. He’s a big part of what we’re doing.”
Newcastle have made it no secret this month that they will need to offload players sooner rather than later to ensure that they comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron are among those being linked with a move away from St James’ Park, and both players are not short of interest. Howe was keen to avoid talking about individual transfer sagas regarding his players when quizzed about potential exits though, saying: “We are waiting to see what happens. I don’t want to talk about individual names. It’s a complex situation. Nothing is clearcut and all eventualities could happen. What we probably won’t do is bring a player in without losing one the other way.”
