LONDON, Aug 17 — Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has insisted there’s no chance of the Magpies paying “silly” money for new players after the club were linked with a move to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
British media reports suggested Newcastle have made at least four bids for England centre-back Guehi, rated at £65 million (US$84 million), ahead of the new Premier League season.
Palace chairman Steve Parish said earlier in the week that Newcastle would need to pay “superstar money” to sign Guehi.
But even though Newcastle have the backing of wealthy Saudi owners, Howe was adamant they could walk away from the Guehi deal if the price became over-inflated in their view.
“We have done many times in my time here, especially early on where there was very much a ‘Newcastle tax’ on any deal where when we would ring up, the price would double,” Howe said on Friday.
“So many times we were: ‘No, that’s not for us, we’re not going to go down that road where we feel we’re over-paying for players’.
“That’s changed slightly because people have seen the dynamic, that we’re not going to pay silly fees for players, so I think now it’s returned more to normality.”
Howe refused to comment on Guehi specifically, but when asked if any deals regarding new recruits to his squad at St James’ Park were close, he replied: “Not that I know of.”
But Howe, whose side start their campaign at home to Southampton on Saturday, added: “We’re hopeful. We’re working hard. There’s no lack of effort from outside but, as I said earlier, there’s nothing close.”
Despite Newcastle’s dogged pursuit of Guehi, the former Chelsea player is set to feature in Palace’s Premier League opener against Brentford.
“Well, yes, Marc trained today with us, we talked together,” Palace boss Oliver Glasner said yesterday.
“I have no other information. I have to look at my bank account to see if something has come in but it doesn’t look like it so we plan with Marc.
“He’s our player, he’s our captain and I can’t tell you anything else.
“I don’t know how the chairman defines superstar money so it’s a question you have to ask the chairman.” — AFP
