“No intention” – Howe dismisses January exit talk ahead of City semi-final | OneFootball

Newcastle United travel to the Etihad Stadium looking to overturn a 2–0 deficit against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-final, with a place at Wembley at stake.

However, the major talking point ahead of the tie has been speculation linking Sandro Tonali with a move to Arsenal – rumours the club quickly dismissed. Speaking ahead of the game, head coach Eddie Howe firmly denied the reports.

“There was no intention from our side to lose Sandro at all,” Howe said. “He is very happy here, loves playing for Newcastle and loves the city.

“I had discussions with him yesterday. His focus is on the here and now and with us. There is no issue with Sandro himself – he is happy and committed.”

Newcastle were relatively quiet during the January transfer window, with Howe admitting it was a difficult period for the club due to financial constraints.

“We were left with no other option,” Howe explained. “Every decision we make has a long-term implication, and there is no guarantee that signing someone this month with the funds we have available would help us in the short term anyway.

“We have been used to working in these conditions for a while. We have only been active in one transfer window out of the last four or five, so we are under financial restrictions. We have to be smart and we have decided to wait until the summer.

“The summer window is a lot easier to recruit in. There are more players available, potentially offering better value for money.

“We had a very limited amount of money available in this window, and whether the right players were available in the short term where we have a need — those options weren’t there for us. We can’t sign players that don’t exist, and we have to work under the conditions we’re in.”

Overturning the deficit at the Etihad will be a significant challenge, but Howe insists his side remains confident they can compete with Pep Guardiola’s City.

“We have to have that belief,” he said. “The second goal in the first game was a big disappointment, but we have the talent, and we believe in ourselves. It will be an almighty challenge.”