Opinion: Eddie Howe's Lewis Miley praise may hint at change of heart for Newcastle United in January

Lewis Miley is the talk of the Toon this week after his performance against Everton, and Eddie Howe’s latest comments on the youngster speak volumes.

The 19-year-old has had to be patient in waiting for first-team chances at Newcastle United, but he grabbed his opportunity with both hands at the weekend.

Lewis Miley bagged a goal and an assist against Everton. He became the youngest Newcastle player to achieve that feat since 2005, and it was a real coming-of-age display from Miley.

It poses a great problem for Eddie Howe, who must now decide whether to keep the youngster in his starting XI vs Spurs or bring Sandro Tonali back into the fold.

Either way, Howe’s latest comments may have revealed a lot about Newcastle’s plans for the January transfer window.

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What Eddie Howe said about Lewis Miley

Speaking to the press ahead of the Magpies’ clash with Spurs, the Newcastle United manager was effusive in his praise for Lewis Miley.

Howe said: “He’s there on merit and he’s fighting for a starting place. He’s impressing me with how he’s training and how he’s preparing himself for every opportunity he gets. It was a big moment for him on Saturday.

“He wanted the ball, he was very good with the ball, that was key for us. He played with calmness and control. He set a goal up, scored a goal – it couldn’t have gone any better, really.”

It’s not the only positive talk around Miley at the moment. Malick Thiaw hailed Miley as ‘immense’ after the Everton game, and that’s a sentiment shared by many around the club. But what does that mean for Newcastle United moving forward?

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Do Newcastle even need a new midfielder in January?

Howe may have played Miley at right-back in midweek against Marseille, but after Saturday, it’s clear the youngster is ready to shine in midfield.

There had been murmurs and suggestions that Newcastle could sell Miley, but that has been rebuffed by the club. And why would they? While selling him might bring in pure profit and generate some PSR headroom, it’s simply not worth it.

You only have to look at the decision to sell Elliot Anderson and how much Newcastle regret that now to realise that selling Miley would be a mistake. That’s especially true considering he now might be able to save the club millions of pounds in the transfer market.

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Clearly, Miley has what it takes to perform at the top level. It was thought a new midfielder was on Newcastle’s shopping list for January, but there’s no reason Miley can’t be the one to step up and become a regular fixture in the line-up.

Targets like Scott McTominay and Anderson could cost Newcastle anywhere between £50-100m. Yes, they are top-quality midfielders, but why spend all that money when there’s a perfectly good and very exciting option sitting at home waiting for more game time.

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