Eddie Howe actually told Newcastle United not to sign £39m Chelsea player this summer

Some people will argue that Eddie Howe is fussy when it comes to signing players for Newcastle United.

The Newcastle United manager is very specific in what he wants, and will not sign a player just for the sake of it. That is not something he has ever been guilty of during his time at St James’ Park.

That theory was put to the test during the summer, as Paul Mitchell aimed to identify an alternative to Marc Guehi. It was proving difficult to land the Crystal Palace centre-back, with Steve Parish driving a hard bargain.

In the end, Mitchell pulled out of a deal to sign Guehi. Meanwhile, an alternative centre-back did not arrive at St James’ Park despite Newcastle desperately needing reinforcements.

How Eddie Howe felt about Newcastle United signing Axel Disasi from Chelsea

That was partially down to Eddie Howe, as he was not keen on one of the alternatives that was floated.

It was reported in August that Newcastle were considering a move for Chelsea’s Axel Disasi. As we all know, that is as far as it went, as the £39million man is still a Chelsea player.

According to the Daily Mail, Howe was against the idea of signing Disasi during the summer transfer window, despite needing a centre-back. Some Newcastle officials wanted to sign the 26-year-old.

It appeared to be a case of Guehi or nothing for Howe, and Newcastle ended the summer with nothing.

Howe obviously did not think Disasi was suited to Newcastle, but he certainly helped the Magpies on Wednesday night. He scored an own goal during Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, while Joelinton gave him a torrid evening on Tyneside.

It was a poor performance from Disasi – the type that will have helped justify Howe’s decision.