Eddie Howe admits Newcastle ‘have not had the window we wanted’ after missing out on £70m-rated top target Marc Guehi… as he reveals what his relationship with club’s new sporting director is really like

Eddie Howe vented his frustration after admitting Newcastle ‘didn’t have the chance we wanted’.

The pursuit of Marc Guehi looks set to fail, with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish now demanding more than £70m for the defender. The England star has been a top target for Howe and new sporting director Paul Mitchell in recent weeks.

However, it now looks set to be the Magpies closing down after spending just £10m on back-up forward William Osula, with Lloyd Kelly also joining on a free transfer last month.

Speaking to the press on Friday, Howe said: “It’s been a challenging period, there’s no doubt about that. We haven’t had the transfer window we wanted, there’s no denying that. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s been a brilliant transfer window for us. I think everyone will look at me and think I’m not sure he’s telling the truth.

“But my job is to continue to do my very best for the players we have here.”

The £70million defender was the Magpies’ top target throughout the summer transfer window

Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell (front) reportedly said he would drop the England star

He added: ‘With so little time left, it seems difficult (to bring players in). This window has been difficult, and it continues to be difficult for us. We are in a very difficult situation with PSR and funds available, bringing in the right players and players that we think can make a difference. It is such a delicate place for us, we have to try and get it right and if we can’t do that then doing nothing – as frustrating as that is – is probably the best option. There will be a feeling that we have a good squad but there is a feeling that there are a few areas that we need to strengthen.’

Asked how the new dynamic was working behind the scenes with the likes of Mitchell and CEO Darren Eales, Howe said: “We’re working well, in terms of our relationships. I’m fine with that, there’s no problem there. Of course, if we do translate that into transfers, I’ve said all summer that I’m not involved in player negotiations, that’s separate to me. So hopefully that answers the question.

‘You have to understand that in most other windows the whole structure of the club has been different, so that’s not necessarily a criticism of the structure we have now. There are different personalities and there’s a different way of working now. Yes, it’s probably been the most hands-off I’ve ever been, but that’s not necessarily a negative.’

He added: ‘We all want to find the right solutions, but they have to be the right solutions. The worst thing we can do is bring the wrong players into the football club. That would cause damage for a long time, so it’s always about the right players.

Howe has revealed he is only considering the ‘right solutions’ after it was previously reported the Crystal Palace defender was the one he wanted this summer

The 46-year-old manager insists the Magpies cannot afford to sign players like the top six teams in the Premier League do.

‘It’s never about one player, we’ve tried it for loads of players. But there’s not a bottomless pit of names. There’s probably four or five players you go through and once you get to the end of that you think: is this player of enough quality?’

Howe was told that other clubs outside the top six have managed to spend significantly this summer, and Howe said: ‘Brighton have sold players in the past, they’ve brought in a lot of revenue and money, and we haven’t. So we’re in a difficult situation in terms of PSR and that’s the biggest problem for us.

‘We can’t do what other clubs are doing at the moment and that makes the challenges more difficult for us and for me, but that’s the environment we’re in and we have to try and find a way to still be successful.’

Howe was also asked about the mood in the dressing room and gave a telling answer.

“If I’m honest, it probably reflects the narrative that’s been created and my job is to shape that as powerfully as I can,” he said.

He stresses that ‘it has not been a clear window’ despite signing five players, including Lewis Hall, Odysseas Vlachodimos, William Osula, Lloyd Kelly and John Ruddy

The Magpies are currently looking for a £20million deal for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford

“What I mean by that is there have been some unsettled players during this window. It hasn’t been a clear window for us in terms of bringing players in. It’s been difficult the other way around as well. So I think we’ll have clarity once the window closes. The players will have clarity. ‘Okay, we’re all here together now for the same purpose,’ and then I think we’ll all go together into January in the pursuit of excellence and in the pursuit of success.

“We have some brilliant characters in the squad and a great dressing room, so there is no criticism of the dressing room. It is just worrying. It is always difficult when the situation is like this.”