Eddie Howe confirms Newcastle can NOT add in key position this summer – as Magpies near club record £70m Marc Guehi deal

Eddie Howe says Newcastle cannot afford to sign players in the two priority positions he had wanted this window, as he all but ruled out both a centre-back and right-winger arriving in the coming days.

The Magpies are closing in on a £70million deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, with Howe having told new sporting director Paul Mitchell that the England man is his No 1 choice this summer.

However, the head coach had also hoped for a new right-winger, an area in which he currently has Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy. Mail Sport reported last week that the club-record outlay on Guehi would leave no scope for a wideman, and Howe confirmed this on Tuesday.

When asked if the club could sign a centre-back and right-winger, he replied: ‘Probably not, no.’

The answer will frustrate supporters – and likely the manager – given the need for reinforcement in the position since the Saudi-led takeover nearly three years ago. Both Murphy and Almiron were signed under the Mike Ashley regime.

Newcastle are closing in on a club record £70million move for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi

Miguel Almiron (left) and Jacob Murphy (right) are Newcastle’s options on the right wing

But PSR restrictions have limited the club’s spending this window and Howe has already admitted it has been the most difficult of his managerial career. He insists, though, there is no issue with support from above.

‘There’s no problem with backing or support, there never has been,’ he said. ‘It’s the rules we’re trying to abide by and every decision we make has a consequence for the future, so we have got to make sure we are making wise decisions and not leaving ourselves in a vulnerable position again further down the line.

‘That’s why these decisions are complex. It’s not quite as simple as being backed. There’s…