How involved is Howe in transfers?

[BBC] Several of you have been wondering - via our Newcastle Ask Me Anything form - whether there has been a change in transfer strategy at St James' Park and how involved head coach Eddie Howe is in recruitment. Alignment has been a key word behind the scenes at Newcastle United for a while now. Unlike a year ago, when Eddie Howe was at the coalface in the absence of an executive structure, the Newcastle head coach has been able to fall back on the support of sporting director Ross Wilson and chief executive David Hopkinson. The window was mapped as a collective – no player has joined the club without Howe's approval – and it has then fallen to the club's hierarchy to bring these targets in. Newcastle have previously signed players with the potential to grow, including Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and William Osula, but this summer's strategy is taking that approach a step further. Bazoumana Toure, Sean Steur and Ewen Jaouen are all aged 20 and under and have no prior Premier League experience. It will take them time to adapt to the top flight, but the trio could flourish in the right hands and Howe's big passion is improving players on the training pitch. He has spoken enthusiastically about each of the new signings and, given the financial rules in place, it feels like Newcastle simply have to do this a little differently. It is hard to imagine the club spending £55m on a 29-year-old again like they did last summer with Yoane Wissa. If Newcastle's revenues can grow alongside their young recruits then they may have a better chance of keeping hold of them in the long run. But trading will remain a key part of the club's model moving forward. In an ideal world Newcastle would not lose quite as many key figures as they have in the last 12 months following the departures of Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak. Holding on to captain Bruno Guimaraes therefore feels crucial. It would be beyond damaging for the project if he was to also depart this summer. Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. Find out more here