Eddie Howe can't hide disappointment at Newcastle exit as he confirms transfer frustration

Eddie Howe has admitted that he was disappointed by the departure of sporting director Paul Mitchell and it has impacted Newcastle’s transfer plans this summer. The Magpies have completed just one major signing in the summer transfer window so far, leaving Howe frustrated as the 2025/26 approaches.

Newcastle wanted to make a major statement this summer by strengthening their side after qualifying for the Champions League again. But barring the £55million addition of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, they have drawn a blank so far.

They saw a £70m bid rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike – a player they have tracked for a long time and previously saw another move collapse for. Ekitike is now heading for Liverpool, the club who also enquired about a £120m move for Newcastle’s star striker Alexander Isak.

Mitchell announced on May 27 that he would step down at the end of June, less than 12 months after joining the club. He departed without actually signing a single player, and while he often clashed with Howe, his shock exit left the manager starting a crucial summer on the back foot.

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“My phone exploded,” Howe explained. “I was enjoying my second day of my holiday and that quickly went sour. It was a complete surprise to me. And a big disappointment because we had stability, we were planning the summer ahead and then that’s a big upheaval internally that we’ve been through before with Dan Ashworth leaving.

“It’s been a busier summer in that respect than I wanted. Naturally with Paul leaving, that left a hole in terms of that role. And of course someone in that role protects the manager from a lot of things. And of course his departure left that open for me to do some things that I wouldn’t have normally done. The summer certainly wasn’t a relaxing one for me to switch off and see what happens.”

So while Howe has ended up having a greater say on transfers, it has come at a personal cost, taking him away from his other duties. Newcastle have sold Sean Longstaff to Leeds and Lloyd Kelly to Juventus, while Callum Wilson left as a free agent.

The need for new signings is obvious – especially after they were thrashed 4-0 by Celtic on Saturday – but it’s been slow progress Howe added: “My wish was for us to do our business early and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be.

“We’ve had a frustrating time in terms of losing targets to other clubs. I’d be very open with that. That’s happened on several occasions. You just have to accept it. In order for a transfer to really work, in my opinion, the player has to be desperate to come to your club. If we don’t get that, the transfer doesn’t work.

“We’re seeking players that are good enough, that are desperate to come, and that can make the difference that they’re in short supply for us. We’re confident that we can try and get some more players in to strengthen the depth of the squad. We’re certainly aware that we need to and we’re trying as hard as we can to do that.”

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