Sport
Newcastle must be ready for a pivotal summer transfer window
Newcastle United’s season is on a knife edge. The importance of their Premier League win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday cannot be understated, both in the context of the race for Champions League qualification and confidence ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool in a matter of weeks.
It was a nervy affair which saw them win 4-3 having been 4-1 in front at half time, but it was the first victory on a run of crucial games which may not only decide the fate of this season, but the overall direction of their Saudi Arabian-funded project over the next few years. It became even more crucial when on Wednesday they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, meaning revenge will be on the cards at Wembley.
With Governor of the Public Investment Fund and club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan in attendance, potential frailties being laid bare is perhaps not the worst thing. In order to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, Newcastle haven’t made a major first team signing in the last three transfer windows, and their squad has obvious deficiencies. Al-Rumayyan was reportedly on Tyneside to oversee the next stage of a plan to either build a new stadium or expand St James’ Park, but the Magpies have more pressing matters on the pitch in the next few months.
Plenty of talk, understandably, has centred on incoming signings. During that spell without a high profile arrival, Newcastle needed to sell players to create enough of a budget without overstepping the PSR mark. Elliot Anderson, Yankuba Minteh, Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly will have all departed on permanent deals for a combined £90m by the time they can spend again, and if they can qualify for the Champions League again this season, it is expected they will be in their best financial situation since their first post-takeover window in January 2022. The narrative around Newcastle’s inability to spend will be flipped on its head and there could be some big moves made, but perhaps what will define the summer is a strong stance when negotiating potential interest in their best players.
For all the difficulty faced in recent windows, Newcastle have managed to sign and maintain an extremely talented spine to their squad. Alexander Isak is arguably among the most talked about players in the world in terms of his future, with no shortage of clubs lining up to sign him after a stunning season, while the likes of Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes have long been linked with moves too. This is the main reason Newcastle simply must qualify for the Champions League; to give themselves the best chance of once again keeping all their best players. Confidence remains high inside the club that they’ll be able to do that and being under minimal threat of a PSR breach certainly helps. Isak is their crown jewel due to the uniqueness of his play and the impossibility of adequately replacing him.
With three years on his contract in the off-season, it is highly unlikely any club will be able to afford the sort of fee that would make Newcastle consider their position. Guimaraes previously had a release clause in his deal, which expires at the same time as Isak’s, while Gordon and midfielder Joelinton also recently penned new deals. In almost every example, Newcastle hold the power in the immediate term. But there also has to be a realisation that it won’t last long. Usually, when players reach the last two years of their deals, which will happen almost en masse in 2026, the dynamic begins to shift. Players and buying clubs know that opportunities for sellers to recoup maximum value are dwindling, so it is important, mostly in the case of Isak, for Newcastle to agree new terms to protect it. The 25-year-old recently reached 50 Premier League goals in just 74 games for the club, and is operating at a level which may be too hard for Newcastle to keep up with. If top clubs offering top wages and competing for top titles come knocking, it will be difficult to resist. Acting now is crucial.
Selling big may not be necessary to spend this summer, but it may be for protecting against future failure to qualify for Europe, or an inability to grow other revenue streams. Newcastle have to box clever, but the concerning thing for them is interest isn’t just being shown in Isak, Gordon and Guimaraes, but also the likes of Sandro Tonali and, as of this week, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, too. All, again, are tied to deals which put Newcastle in control.
Newcastle have been feared and respected for their ability to recruit players, with almost every arrival developing into a major asset. Their issue has been a lack of depth and quality worth selling beyond someone who would cause an issue to replace, and they’ve done well to get to this stage with all those stars in tact. There have been enquiries, but this summer could be their biggest challenge in that regard, especially if they don’t reach the Champions League.
How they approach potential unwanted outgoings this summer will be just as important as who comes in. If Newcastle want to be an elite club, they need to be strong in the face of possible interest.
