Newcastle under Eddie Howe is not a lost cause and the mega-rich Saudi owners have six weeks to show they mean business... Premier League strugglers will have to pay over the odds for players to close the gap because they can't afford not to

If Newcastle’s Saudi owners are serious about one day competing with the likes of Liverpool, they have six weeks to prove it.

Forget talk of January being a difficult market in which to trade. That used to be the case in a pre-Covid world. Now, if you have a barrel-load of cash, there are plenty of clubs willing to drink from it.

If anything, this is a month in which the financial might of the Magpies should be used to exploit those vulnerable to temptation.

Under Mike Ashley’s ownership, this 3-1 defeat at Anfield - in which Eddie Howe’s side did OK - might have served as reason to stumble on through with holes in their shoes.