Alan Shearer sends fresh Newcastle transfer warning to owners ahead of January window

Premier League managerial departures so far this season

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Alan Shearer has suggested that many high-profile players would turn their noses up at the idea of joining Newcastle United in January as a result of their desperate struggles in the Premier League this season. The Magpies remain the only winless side in any of England’s top four divisions after spurning a golden opportunity to kickstart their campaign against Norwich City on Tuesday.

Eddie Howe’s side were forced to settle for a draw after Callum Wilson’s opener was cancelled out by a fiercely-struck equaliser from Teemu Pukki as the clock ticked down.

Newcastle gave themselves a mountain to climb inside the first 10 minutes when Ciaran Clark was shown a straight red card for hauling Pukki to the ground as he bore down on goal.

They managed to keep their foot in the door and looked set to claim all three points after Wilson had converted from the penalty spot in the second half.

However, their hopes were dashed by Pukki’s late leveller on the volley to ensure the spoils were shared at the full-time whistle.

The result kept Newcastle rooted to the foot of the Premier League table and six points adrift of safety after seven draws, seven defeats and no wins.

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The Magpies have been linked with a number of high-profile transfer targets ahead of the January window, with a mid-season recruitment drive said to be on the agenda as they look to secure top-flight survival.

The likes of Philippe Coutinho, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Luis Diaz have been mentioned in recent weeks following the completion of the club’s lucrative Saudi-led takeover in October.

However, Shearer has suggested that Newcastle’s new custodians may be forced back to the drawing board as a result of the club’s dire situation.

“Two wins [against Norwich and Burnley on Saturday] are imperative because that would at least put them in touch with the teams just above the drop zone, with an extremely tough run of games to follow,” Shearer told BBC Sport earlier this week.

“Otherwise, Newcastle are facing a scenario where they are well adrift come the start of January, which could affect the calibre of players who arrive when the transfer window opens.

“Not many top players will want to commit to a team who, by then, might look a lot like they are going to be relegated.

“I know there is the loan market as well, but I think it is really key that, come January, there is some hope of staying up in order to attract the players Newcastle will need to try to keep the club in the Premier League.”

Although Newcastle are yet to win a single league match this season, they have managed to avoid defeat in three of their last four outings.

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It seems as though the club’s new owners will be looking to add some much-needed quality in January to stand the best chance of retaining their Premier League status between now and the end of the campaign.

Newcastle shareholder Amanda Staveley recently insisted that plenty of investment would go into the January transfer window but conceded that she would prefer to do most of the club’s business in the summer.

“We will inject our own money into the January transfer window, we are committed to investing in this club,” Staveley told the Daily Mail.

“We do not need sponsorship revenue to do that. We’ve already invested £38million [of equity] last week and we’ll invest whatever we need to enter into the transfer window.

“So we’re not stupid. We know January transfer windows are not where we really want to be. We’re committed to this club at every level.”

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