Newcastle United will spend “as much as they can” this summer while complying with Financial Fair Play limits to build a team capable of balancing the demands of the Champions League with competing for domestic honours.
CEO Darren Eales says Newcastle will “build” for next season but that recruitment will be balanced with bringing in the right characters who won’t disrupt the team’s chemistry.
Speaking at the end of season True Faith podcast talk-in on Monday, Eales said the Magpies were in “good hands” with director of football Dan Ashworth and “unbelievable” Eddie Howe. And he promised that the club would not “rest on their laurels” after finishing in the top four.
i understands that preliminary budget meetings were held before last weekend’s game at Chelsea. The club’s hand has been significantly strengthened in the transfer window but it is wage demands of their top targets that could present a challenge – Newcastle’s wage bill has already increased significantly since the 2021 takeover and now needs commercial revenue to catch up to allow them to compete with teams offering the most competitive salaries.
Newcastle are looking to sign a central midfielder and are also keen on Leicester‘s James Maddison and Nice’s Khephren Thuram. As i reported on Monday, they are also monitoring the availability of Everton’s Amadou Onana.
The club’s record in the transfer market has been impressive over the last three transfer windows and the broad philosophy will stay the same. Eales said recruitment would be “methodical”.
“We’ve got to savour this moment because we’ve got to the Champions League,” he said.
“It doesn’t mean we want to rest on our laurels, we’re going to build for next year, but it’s really important when we build that team that we bring in the right characters, the right people that fit.
“We’ve all seen at other football clubs it isn’t just the amount of money you spend, it’s how you spend it. The weekend game [at Chelsea] is a perfect example of that.
“The club is in safe hands with Eddie [Howe] and Dan [Ashworth] in terms of knowing what it is we’re looking for.
“The reality is we’re always going to spend what we can under Financial Fair Play and that’s a great thing. I can say hand on heart the club will always be doing its best to get to where we want to get to.
“But we’ve got to make sure we do it methodically and in a way that’s sustainable.
“It’s unbelievable to see what Eddie Howe has done with the squad, how he’s galvanised them. We’ve got a great pair of hands there with Eddie, he’s just unbelievable.”
While Newcastle’s spending has been beefed up by qualifying for the Champions League, it’s understood the club won’t be tempted into selling Bruno Guimaraes – who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Liverpool have also been credited with an interest.
Being in the Champions League next season protects them from having to sell key assets. Newcastle are understood be in talks with Guimaraes about a new contract.
Asked about qualifying for the Champions League, Eales said: “It’s pretty remarkable.
“I think if you’d have asked us at the start of the season if we’d have had this spot, we were just looking for progression.”
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