Alan Smith believes Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be disappointed that the club couldn't land Marc Guehi in the summer transfer window.
Guehi was a target for Howe after the defender had a standout 2023-24 campaign with Crystal Palace and good performances for England at Euro 2024, but the Magpies were unable to seal the deal before the window slammed shut at the end of last month.
For Smith, the failure to secure Guehi surely left Howe disheartened.
"You would think that Eddie Howe would feel let down after the club failed to deliver him Marc Guehi," Smith told casinoapps.com. "The deal was played out quite publicly, and when the price was rising it only seemed that Newcastle were a few million away from getting the deal over the line.
"I’m surprised that they didn’t sign him given that Guehi was his number one choice. When you heard that Newcastle had upped their bid, you thought that it was only a matter of time before he signed.
"Did Newcastle have a second or third choice for that central defence position? If Eddie badly wanted a central defender, well-run clubs typically have backup options.
"Perhaps he was the club’s top target and, if they couldn’t get him, they didn’t want anyone else."
The scuppered deal could have longer term effects on the club as Smith feels it may cause Howe to doubt Newcastle's ambition to be a top club in the Premier League.
"I do wonder what Eddie Howe will be thinking at the moment in terms of where the club's going and how quickly they can become one of the forces in English football," Smith said. "It's going to be harder than we all thought and maybe he thought when they qualified for the Champions League.
"I don't think they can get in that top four this season. It's been a bit of a stuttery start for Newcastle, but they got a really good result against Spurs [on Sept. 1]; they've got some very good players.
"Thankfully for Eddie Howe, they've managed to keep the likes of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes. That’s a boost. I think that they'll be looking for a European place, but not a Champions League one."
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