“Option open” – Fabrizio Romano’s upbeat assessment of Newcastle’s chances at closing latest transfer deal

Newcastle United haven’t had too much luck in the summer transfer window in truth.

Losing Elliot Anderson and Yankubah Minteh because of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) isn’t likely to have pleased Eddie Howe, and bringing in only John Ruddy, Lloyd Kelly, William Osula, Lewis Hall and Odysseas Vlachodimos won’t have enthused the Magpies faithful either.

With no European football to speak of in 2024/25, despite the lack of commercial possibilities, from a playing point of view that might actually help a club who had an astonishing run of bad luck during last season, arguably because of the extra load placed on the players thanks to a first Champions League campaign in two decades.

Newcastle still hopeful of landing international ace

With two weeks still to go until the closure of the summer transfer window, there’s still plenty of time to get more deals over the line, to give the club the evident boost that it needs.

Having three bids turned down for Crystal Palace’s England international defender, Marc Guehi, won’t have helped the mood about the place, but all is not yet lost.

“Newcastle are still working on a deal for Marc Guehi, and despite having a third bid rejected, they’re still hopeful of reaching an agreement with Crystal Palace,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“Guehi’s also expecting Newcastle to return to the table and negotiate again.

“It’d keep this option open for the final two weeks, while Palace have also added Robin Gosens to their list at LWB.”

Clearly, Eddie Howe still has to keep one eye on FFP, but the knowledge that the deal is still on the table to be done will give Newcastle encouragement.

Just how far they’re prepared to go to land Guehi isn’t known at this point, however.

There have been no rumblings of discontent from the player himself regarding the deal having not gone through, though the fact that he too hasn’t shut down the opportunity to join the St. James’ Park outfit would suggest that he’s willing to hold out until the end of the window.