Newcastle United have sent a clear transfer message to their Premier League rivals by featuring both Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Hall in their latest Adidas kit launch. Reports of a bust-up between Hall and Eddie Howe, as well as links to Manchester United, were dismissed by high-placed sources.
No pressure to sell star players
As Newcastle build a younger squad with new signings Sean Steur, Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba, club chiefs have made it clear that no further sales are required. With the club's SCR situation assessed, Newcastle have told Howe they are under no pressure to make another big sale, according to well-placed sources.
Fringe players could still be sold, but the plan for the remaining six weeks of the transfer window is to hold on to star names like Hall and Bruno. If any bid blows the board out of the water, it would be considered, but cash would be reinvested into the squad.
Howe's stance on Hall
Howe has made it clear that Hall is in his plans for "years to come" and has quickly settled the England international down for pre-season after links with Manchester United. Regarding Hall's omission from England's World Cup squad, Howe said: "My reaction to that was feeling for Lewis. To support him and talk to him and help him really. He is an outstanding player, he is so young and he's got such a lot of his career ahead of him. You don't want it to have a negative impact. I don't think it will, I think he is very strong mentally. It was a big disappointment for him."
No bids yet for Hall or Livramento
Howe had made his position clear on both Tino Livramento and Hall at the end of the season, with both linked to summer moves. However, no call has come from Manchester United for Hall or from Manchester City for Livramento. Howe said: "The reason we signed both players when we did was for an evolution for the team and to see if they would grow into the full-back areas for us. They are two really talented lads who can grow and hopefully be top full-backs for Newcastle for many years, and that is still the case."
If Howe can add to his summer signings and keep hold of Hall and Bruno, the window could be seen as a success.
