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.
Tottenham's Odobert undergoes hamstring surgery
Tottenham have confirmed that Wilson Odobert has undergone surgery for a hamstring injury.
The 19-year-old joined Spurs from Burnley in August and made five appearances in all competitions for the north London side.
He managed just 162 minutes in his three Premier League matches, creating three chances in that time, but has not featured in the competition since their 1-0 loss to Arsenal in mid-September.
His last appearance was a two-minute cameo in the Europa League group stage amid ongoing hamstring problems.
"We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November)," Spurs said on social media.
"The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."
De Jong insists confidence will improve following Netherlands return
Frenkie de Jong believes his confidence will improve with more playing time after returning to the Netherlands starting line-up for the first time in over a year.
De Jong received widespread praise for his return to the national side in their 4-0 victory over Hungary as they confirmed a Nations League quarter-final spot on Saturday.
The midfielder returned for Barcelona in October after a six-month absence due to an ankle injury, while his last appearance for the Dutch national team came against the Republic of Ireland in September 2023.
He missed 18 matches for the Netherlands during that period, including their Euro 2024 campaign in which they reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by England.
Against Hungary, De Jong played 68 minutes and made more passes in the final third than anyone else on the pitch (31), while he also made 12 final third entries, the second-most behind team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke (17).
"I still need some time to really get into top form", said De Jong. "After an injury, I usually felt I would get back into form quickly, now after this injury that is really different.
"I need to gain back my confidence in doing certain things on the pitch. I knew it would be this way and so people are not worried. It should improve from now onwards.
"I'm happy to be back! I need games, I need rhythm, and then my good form will return. I will not start the next game, but I will stay with the national team."
Ronald Koeman was also delighted with the influence De Jong had on the side after such a long absence and is confident he can help the team going forward.
"You saw his qualities in a number of moments", said Koeman. "He helped us to create a lot more chances."
Van Dijk hails Hungary 'strength' for playing on after coach collapse
Virgil van Dijk saluted Hungary for playing on after assistant coach Adam Szalai appeared to suffer a fit during their Nations League clash.
Play was suspended for 13 minutes at the Johan Cruijff ArenA while Szalai was treated pitchside, with staff and substitutes forming a protective barrier around him.
The 36-year-old was taken to Amsterdam Hospital, where he later revealed he was "doing well" on his social media channels.
Although Hungary agreed to play on, the Netherlands ran out comfortable 4-0 winners to book their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.
Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo were on target from the penalty spot during the first half, while goals from Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners after the break saw the Oranje secure second place in Group A3.
And Van Dijk paid tribute to his side's opponents.
"That was quite a shock, of course," he told NOS. "You see someone lying down, you see someone shaking. That is quite scary. But thankfully, at a certain point, it became clear that he was stable. I hope he is doing well and that he recovers quickly.
"They had to decide whether they wanted to continue playing. I think it shows a lot of strength that they did carry on. I have a lot of respect for that."
On his side's performance, Van Dijk added: "The pitch was very fast, but that's no excuse. It was sloppy.
"In the end, we won deservedly and that's the most important thing. We go to the quarter-finals, we win, we keep a clean sheet."
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