Eddie Howe will have to let his head rule his heart this summer as he prepares to axe as many as 10 players at Newcastle United.
Howe has done a remarkable job at St James’ Park since arriving before Christmas. The Geordies looked destined for relegation before Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall arrived. But 37 points from 24 games has set Newcastle on their way to a mid-table finish.
There are also high hopes ahead of next season with another transfer window likely to yield some more big signings.
There is no doubt about the club’s ambition under new owners Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Mehrdad Ghodoussi, husband of director Amanda Staveley told The Athletic in February: “There is no reason why Newcastle in the next five years should not be a Man City or a Man Utd or a Liverpool or a Chelsea.”
But Howe knows there is a huge gap to bridge, which was highlighted by Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing at Manchester City.
Afterwards Howe, 44, promised “evolution not revolution” in the transfer market.
But make no mistake about it, Howe will have to clear the decks.
“Players that you love and have a great relationship with, they sometimes have to leave for the benefit of the team,” said Howe.
“I’m sure there’ll be players that will move on, who have represented the club in a brilliant way.”
The Sun reports that as many as 10 players could be axed, including skipper Jamaal Lascelles and Miguel Almiron.
Newcastle captain facing chop
Almiron has made 28 Premier League appearances this season and he has started seven of the last nine games. But the former Atlanta Utd man has only scored once and, per the source, looks likely to leave.
Lascelles meanwhile has struggled for game time and has been on the bench for much of 2022. Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have been the preferred centre-back partnership.
Ciaran Clark, Isaac Hayden, Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle and Karl Darlow are also likely to leave and are available for transfer.
While, forgotten men Javier Manquillo, Federico Fernandez and Jamal Lewis will almost certainly moved on.
Speedy winger Allan Saint-Maximin’s future is also unclear. He is under contract until 2026, but Howe will know he is the club’s most valuable asset and he could try and cash in on the Frenchman.
PIF will invest in the transfer market again this summer after spending around £90m in January. But, under Financial Fair Play rules, they will have to offload fringe players as they look to get the balance sheet looking right.
