Newcastle United would be “crazy” to sell Alexander Isak or any of their top stars this summer, according to chief executive Darren Eales – who confirmed the club will reopen contract talks with the striker in the close season.
Eales admitted there is annoyance at Isak being continually linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, which implied the Magpies are “in the next category down” from the top clubs they are “striving to compete with”.
And in a significant change of tone from admissions a year ago that every player has his price for a club that is wrestling with financial fair play rules, Eales said they were “not looking to move any player on” as he stressed the club’s ambition.
In a wide-ranging briefing as Newcastle announced a loss of just over £11m during a period when they were forced to sell to comply with profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR), Eales said the “future is bright” for the club – reaffirming the commitment of majority owners the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to the project.
Financial status
Eales said a year of minimal investment in the squad and sales in successive transfer windows had significantly strengthened their PSR position and would allow them to start spending again in the summer, as well as removing any pressure on them to sell the likes of Isak.
“The reality is that all of our players are under long-term deals,” Eales said.
“They’re committed to the club. So, from that perspective, we’re not looking to move any player on. We’ve got that wish and desire to keep our key players [and] we’re not under the gun [to sell] or anything like that.
“We’ve got an ownership that is ambitious [and] wants the best for the club. So from that perspective, it’d be crazy for us to consider it.”
Isak future
It will be a welcome message for Newcastle supporters with Isak coveted by Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona after scoring more than 50 Premier League goals in his first three seasons in the Premier League.
Constant talk of a possible exit – which has become a running joke among Newcastle fans – has also frustrated those at St James’ Park who sense it underplays the club’s own ambition.
“You would rather have people talking about players than not in the sense we know he is a world-class player and he is somebody, obviously, other clubs would covet because he is an incredible player,” Eales said.
“It is part and parcel of the world we live in, but it is frustrating. It is part of what football is, everybody wants to have a story [transfer speculation] and talk about it but when you think about the growth of Newcastle we have the ambition to be a top club.
“There is a sense of annoyance as we are almost seen as the next category down and it is fair game to talk about our players but we are striving as a club to be at the top table and we want our best players here and to be honest it shows the value Isak has that they talk about him all the time.”
New deal
Isak has three years left on the contract signed when he moved from Real Sociedad in a £63m move back in 2022 but Eales confirmed Newcastle’s intention is to speak with his advisors in the summer about a new deal to match his status as one of the world’s best forwards.
“We’re going to be clear – he has multiple years left,” he said.
“So like all of these things, we will have the discussions in terms of a new deal just like we did with Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon.
“That’s something that we will approach in the summer.”
Stadium update
Eales confirmed for the first time that progress has been made on a new training ground – which could be progressed “in the medium term”.
On the subject of the club’s big stadium decision, Eales offered little substantial concrete new information but said that the decision would be announced in the “near future”.
He confirmed that PIF were prepared to make a significant investment in the project, which will either be a new-build stadium close to the current St James’ Park or a refurbishment of the existing ground.
“From my perspective, and I deal with them day to day, [PIF] are 100 per cent committed to Newcastle,” Eales said.
“That’s the exciting part, there is no change in terms of where we want to get to. We are talking about a stadium project, we have to define what that looks like but whichever path we go down, that is huge investment that is going in. So the fact the ownership are taking that very seriously and looking to invest considerable sums shows their ambition.
“As for the training ground, we’re still making ongoing investments in the short term to our current spot [and] we are looking to the medium term for a new training ground. That again speaks to their commitment. Since the takeover, the rate that we have grown is unprecedented in football.”
Transfer plans
Although careful to stress that PSR headroom in the summer would depend on finding new revenue streams and whether Newcastle qualify for Europe – Champions League football could potentially be transformative – Eales suggested the club are well-placed to attack the next transfer window.
“We’re in a good place,” Eales said.
“We’re pleased with the business we did in January in terms of our transfer outgoings. Being quite open, that’s something in the past that’s been challenging for us in terms of making those player transfers out. That was good for us in terms of that window.
“Paul [Mitchell] and his team have had a period of time now working with Eddie [Howe] as well because, ultimately, it’s about getting the players that Eddie wants in his position so there’s real alignment in that respect so we’re excited about the summer ahead.”
Howe backing
There was also backing for manager Eddie Howe, who has led the club to a second Wembley cup final in three years and has a chance to push for Europe again with the team in sixth, despite form tailing off recently.
“Eddie is a wonderful manager, you only need to look at what we have done, taking over the club when we were in the relegation zone and I think what’s great about Eddie is he’s super collaborative,” Eales said.
“To be clear, like the whole way through, Eddie understands and knows the financial parameters we’ve got. I think Eddie is unique as a manager in that he appreciates and understands we have got this PSR cap so he knows the club and the ownership are 100 per cent behind providing the maximum support that we can within the rules.
“We are all working to that PSR headroom so that is the reality. As we approach each window we [know] every decision has a knock-on effect and that is the reality.
“Think about it really as a salary cap. Literally every decision you make has a ramification and that is where Eddie is great because it’s collaborative.
“If we chose to renew contracts of players and keep key players here, that means there is going to be an impact in terms of what you have available elsewhere but Eddie knows that and understands it.
“From our perspective we are obviously super pleased we have got Eddie as our coach. We feel really good. We look forward with excitement.
“The reality is we’ve got a great coach, we have amazing players in our squad, we are growing our revenues and we have an ownership that is fully committed to the long-term so the future is bright, it’s just the nature of football that we have the ups and downs.
“We would all want a stronger squad. Everybody would want more players. Everyone would want no injuries but we have to deal with the realities and that’s why I give Eddie great credit because he understands that because he is part of the process.
“He does a really good job of managing that as part of being the head coach of Newcastle United. We are delighted he is with us and we hope he is going to be with us for a very long time.”
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/cKQ4f0d
Post a Comment
EmoticonClick to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.