10-YEAR HITCH

Transfer woes leave Toon a decade from top says Howe

- SIMON BIRD

EDDIE HOWE Newcastle's insists "dream isn't over" - but says building the club into title challengers could take a decade.

The head coach has seen rivals spend hundreds of millions, while admitting his own squad is arguably weaker than in May.

And it is just 14 months since Saudi club chief Yasir AlRumayyan said that he was leading the Geordies to become "No.1" Yet the Toon hierarchy failed so far to land their top defensive target Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, despite three weeks of bidding up to £65m, with Howe admitting his bid for the top four or six has been made "more difficult".

Newcastle have signed just one player who is guaranteed a start in their first XI in the past THREE transfer windows, in Sandro Tonali (inset, bottom).