WHILE Newcastle will be backed by the millions of their new ownership, Eddie Howe is not looking towards the January transfer window just yet.

Howe, 43, is in the first week of his new role as head coach and is a week away from making his Premier League bow in the dugout at St James' Park. They will face newly promoted Brentford next Saturday where the club are expected to welcome a bumper crowd through the turnstiles.

The winds of change have been howling through Newcastle in recent weeks with new ownership, backed by Saudi PIF fund and Amanda Staveley, along with a new man in the dugout.

Many fans and pundits are expect plenty of change in personnel on the pitch too. A host of names have been linked with a winter move to Tyneside already with the club having a big chequebook to put to good use.

However, Howe is putting his current crop of players through their paces on the training pitch and has been in training with them all week.

While fans are hopeful the club can add some fresh faces in next month, the former Bournemouth boss admits he's not thinking about additions to the club at the moment whilst urging the media not to provide unwanted distractions to him and his squad.

Howe said: “My immediate thoughts coming here was the last thing I want to talk about is January.

“I wouldn’t say it’s not in my thoughts at all. There’ll obviously be people who have done certain work. Every football club has to prepare for transfer windows for those ‘what if’ situations.

“My thought is to get the best out of the players we have now. We have so many games between now and January.

“When I’m looking on the outside and I see reports linking him to Newcastle and this player and that player, it doesn’t do the current players any good whatsoever, to read headlines.

“We need to be united as a football club from top to bottom to have success. I urge you not to speculate too much.

“Because I know it’s your job but for me, it’s the team in the here and now that is my only focus."

Newcastle are embroiled in a relegation dogfight and currently sit five points from safety having not won in eleven games this season in the Premier League.

Howe has admitted that his short term aim since being appointed is to keep the Magpies in the Premier League this season.