Issues facing Newcastle as they look to balance on-field ambition with PSR rules
Newcastle could face a challenging summer as they attempt to managing the competing demands of their ambition and financial rules which prevent them from fully exercising their spending power.
In-form striker Alexander Isak and influential midfielder Bruno Guimaraes are coveted by rivals at home and abroad and the Magpies, who are determined to hang on to their biggest names, will have to negotiate a balancing act as they go about the latest phase of their recruitment drive.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the issues they may have to contend with.
Aren’t Newcastle’s owners fabulously wealthy?
The Magpies’ Saudi-backed owners may have eye-watering amounts of money at their disposal, but the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules – of which Everton and Nottingham Forest have fallen foul – limit the extent to which they can use it. Clubs are not allowed to lose in excess of £105million over rolling three-year periods, meaning Newcastle cannot simply flex their financial muscle.
Why might they have to sell this summer?
Head coach Eddie Howe has been allowed to invest around £400million in his squad since taking up the reins in November 2021, but sacrifices have already had to be made – most notably Allan Saint-Maximin’s £25million departure for Al-Ahli last summer – in order to balance the books. Chief executive Darren Eales has admitted player trading is inevitable at some point, and Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson were linked with January moves to Bayern Munich and AC Milan respectively as potential suitors dipped a toe in the water.
Who are their biggest assets?
Isak, who has already been touted as a target for north London duo Arsenal and Tottenham, is the man of the moment having taken his tally for the season to 21 goals with a double against Spurs on Saturday. The Sweden international, who became Newcastle’s record signing when he joined them from Real Sociedad for £63million in August 2022, has pace, skill and an eye for goal, all of which has endeared him to the Toon Army.
Midfield general Guimaraes, who has been linked repeatedly with Paris St Germain, enjoys similarly elevated status on Tyneside, where the continued presence of his great friend and Brazil team-mate Joelinton, who signed a new long-term contract last week, could prove a telling factor.
What has Howe said?
The Newcastle boss has been unequivocal on the need to retain his best players if the club is to realise its dreams. Asked in particular about Isak’s retention in the aftermath of the Spurs game, he said: “We are trying to build a team, we are trying to grow everything, really, upwards and to do that as quickly as possible and as efficiently as you can, you need to keep your best players, otherwise you enter a different period where you go into transition and you have to start again.”
What are the alternatives?
Behind the scenes, the club is working hard to boost commercial revenue with lucrative new kit and shirt sponsorship deals already signed and the benefits of their return to the Champions League stage to be factored in. However in the short term, they may still need to be creative and Paraguay international Miguel Almiron also attracted interest in January.
Alternatively, selling a home-grown player, reluctant as Howe would be to do so, would yield pure profit in PSR terms, while moving on fringe members of the squad might reduce the wage bill, but otherwise have little financial impact.
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Mauricio Pochettino calls for change to Chelsea's transfer policy
Chelsea have prioritised signing of young players since Todd Boehly & Clearlake Capital took over
Pochettino wants more experience added to his struggling squad
Blues boss also eyeing talks over Chelsea's injury issues
By Tom Gott
Apr 15, 2024
Pochettino wants a new profile of player
Pochettino wants a new profile of player / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged the club's owners to recruit more experienced players this summer to compliment his current crop of youngsters.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have heavily favoured the signing of young players with high potential since their arrival at Stamford Bridge, spending huge sums of money in the hope of creating a squad capable of dominating for the next decade.
The short-term results, however, have fallen well short of expectations, and Pochettino believes his young core need more experienced heads around them to keep them on track.
"We can keep going in the same way with the policy [to sign young players]," Pochettino said. "But in the squad, we have Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Bettinelli. Maybe Marcus isn't playing but he does a fantastic job helping the young guys.
"We have experienced players in the squad. It is not going against the project to have some players who are helping the young guys to perform, to be professional, and to understand what it means to be in the Premier League and to be at Chelsea.
"We need to talk and decide the strategy for next season."
Thiago Silva
Silva's future at Chelsea is unclear / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages
90min understands the plan has always been for Chelsea's owners to meet with Pochettino this summer for what sources describe as a two-way evaluation, with both sides to be given the chance to give feedback on the current campaign.
Pochettino is expected to raise his desire for more experienced signings alongside questions about Chelsea's ongoing battle with injuries, which the boss believes has hampered the team's progress this season.
"There are too many circumstances that make it difficult for the team to evolve," he continued. "And that is part of the process. Of course, this season is going to help us make the right decisions for next season. That was the question before.
"We need to bring more young players and some experienced players. That is all about talking with the club, analysing, and deciding the strategy for next season. That is really important.
"We need to assess all the boys. Why were players injured, will they suffer injuries in the future, and what is the history of their injuries?
"It's so important because we need to manage the situation. Now, we have the reality because we are inside and have the information. And now it is about talking to the club and deciding the best strategy again to be competitive next season and to fight for big things."
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MLS: Five storylines from Matchday Nine
FotMob - April 15, 2024, 1:37 PM
Inter Miami finally got back to winning ways by beating Sporting KC in front of a record-breaking crowd to return to the top of the Eastern Conference while the LA Galaxy went first in the West. There was no shortage of drama and excitement across Major League Soccer with thrilling matches witnessed in Charlotte, DC, Kansas City, Portland and Vancouver. Here are five of the biggest storylines from the weekend in MLS.
By Graham Ruthven, MLS Expert
Lionel Messi put on a show for a record crowd at Arrowhead Stadium
72,610 people (including NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes) turned up to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday to watch Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami take on Sporting KC and the World Cup winner put on a show for the largest crowd to ever attend a football match in the state of Missouri. Mahomes can only dream of producing this sort of magic in the same venue.
First, Messi set up Diego Gómez for a first half goal with a sliding through ball in between the lines. The real highlight reel moment, however, came when Messi unleashed a left-footed strike into the top corner from 25 yards out. Luis Suárez ultimately gave Inter Miami the 3-2 victory, ending the Herons’ five-game winless run, but the fourth-largest crowd in MLS history will remember this match for what Messi did.
Houston Dynamo are a force to be reckoned with – even without two DPs
Without Hector Herrera and Sebas Ferreria, it would have been forgivable had the Houston Dynamo suffered in recent weeks. They have also had to contend with the CONCACAF Champions Cup adding high-stakes fixtures to their schedule. Instead, Ben Olsen’s team have won four of their last five in MLS with their latest victory coming away at Minnesota United.
The way Houston finished last season hinted at the force they could become. In a sense, they have picked up where they left off this term, but the Dynamo have yet to reach their ceiling as a team. If they can get Herrera in particular back on the pitch soon, Houston could be among the frontrunners for the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
Liel Abada is up and running with his first Charlotte FC strike
Charlotte FC edged a five-goal thriller over Toronto FC at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday with Liel Abada among the goalscorers. The Israeli winger arrived from Celtic in March with a big reputation (and a $8m price tag) and his performance – and first MLS goal – against TFC hinted at why Charlotte FC fans should be excited.
With 20 minutes left to play, Abada was quick to intercept a slack Toronto FC cross-field pass and even quicker to surge into the box and shoot across goal and into the far corner. Charlotte FC needed an efficient attacker to give them another dimension in the final third and the 22-year-old looks like being that figure.
A new position got the best out of Joseph Paintsil for LA Galaxy
Joseph Paintsil has made a profound impact on MLS since joining the LA Galaxy from Genk in the off-season, but Saturday saw the Ghanian produce his best performance in the league to date. Paintsil contributed a goal and an assist in a 3-1 road win over the Vancouver Whitecaps that pushed the Carson outfit to the top of the Western Conference.
Deployed in a central position, Paintsil was influential throughout. The 26-year-old had a hand in all three Galaxy goals and continues to look the part in a team that is increasingly playing to his considerable strengths. “It’s not a position he’s played a ton of, but I thought his movement was smart,” said Greg Vanney.
CF Montreal’s evolution was clear in long-awaited homecoming
Under new head coach Laurent Courtois, CF Montreal have made an eye-catching start to the season. Until Saturday, though, the Canadian club’s own supporters hadn’t had an opportunity to experience this in person. Back in front of a home crowd for the first time in 2024, CF Montreal showed how they have evolved.
The hosts controlled the majority of the possession against FC Cincinnati. They had more shots than last season’s Supporters’ Shield winners. The Expected Goals (xG) firmly favoured them. What’s more, Josef Martínez found the back of the net and looked somewhat like the player who lit up MLS for a number of seasons at Atlanta United. These are exciting times at Stade Saputo.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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