Newcastle United is going through some changes.
After a tough season that tested Eddie Howe’s squad in nearly every way imaginable, it was evident that things needed to change.
Indeed, it remains to be seen whether Newcastle will be able to fully rebuild their roster given the ongoing FFP limitations, but they are certainly making room for future newcomers.
Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie are among the senior players who have lately left St James’ Park as the club seeks to reduce its pay expenditure before incoming arrivals.
Another player that could leave is Ryan Fraser.
The Scotland international stated that he was “done” with the club after joining Southampton on loan and winning promotion back to the Premier League with the Hampshire club.
As a result, the Saints are anticipated to try to recruit Fraser, who has a year left on his Newcastle contract, on a permanent basis.
The former Bournemouth star was open about his future plans.
Ryan Fraser says that he will be seeking to leave Newcastle this summer.
When asked about his next steps in leaving Newcastle, Fraser informed the Daily Echo that he would do his “best” to get a move away.
When asked if he will play for the Saints next season, the Scotland international answered, “I’ll give it my all.”
Newcastle are making excellent progress on their wage bill.
The departures of Dummett and Ritchie alone are said to save the club over £100k each week.
With Fraser’s rumored weekly compensation of £70,000 potentially coming off the books, things look pretty rosy on the salary front.
It has not been easy to move players during the PIF period, but it appears Newcastle is finally making progress.
Whether Fraser commands a large transfer fee or not, removing those earnings from the bill would be a significant gain.
Newcastle United have already suffered a setback in this summer’s transfer window.
Indeed, Newcastle’s miserable season continued on Saturday, as they appeared to lose out to Chelsea in the quest to acquire Tosin Adarabioyo.
Despite the club’s confidence that they would sign the Fulham defender when his contract expired, the Blues have stepped in to hijack the deal.
That will undoubtedly be a setback to Eddie Howe, who was expected to use the 26-year-old to bolster his defense next season.
Signing a Premier League-proven central defender set to reach his prime years on a free transfer appeared to be an excellent chance, especially given Newcastle’s FFP restrictions.
However, what’s done is done, and fortunately, Fabrizio Romano has provided a more encouraging update for Newcastle fans.
Fabrizio Romano confirms that Newcastle are poised to sign Lloyd Kelly.
Along with Adarabioyo, another free agent has been in contact with Newcastle.
Lloyd Kelly of Bournemouth worked with Howe on the south coast and will leave the Cherries after his contract expires.
Newcastle were long regarded to be the favourites to sign Kelly, and happily, Romano believes any hijacking of the deal is now highly unlikely.
In a YouTube video, Romano stated: “I can confirm that Lloyd Kelly will be a Newcastle player next season; we are waiting to conclude the agreement, but Lloyd Kelly has already said yes to Newcastle.
“According to my information, in that circumstance, nothing crazy can happen anymore. In the case of Tosin Adarabioyo, the hijack from Chelsea is complete. We’re waiting for the formal formalities, so let’s wait. As I indicated with free agents, many things can happen until the finish, but the player is ready to say yes to Chelsea.
Why Newcastle fans should be slightly concerned about Lloyd Kelly.
Given the Adarabioyo news, any progress toward a signature is certainly desirable.
Despite how highly Howe regarded Kelly, there is some concern about the defense.
Since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2019, he has missed 81 games with calf, hamstring, and muscle problems.
Given the never-ending injury issue at St James’ Park last season, that does not make for comfortable reading.
Hopefully, Kelly’s experience on Tyneside will be different.
What Insiders Are Saying About Newcastle And The Champions League Next Season
Newcastle United will approach next season without the enticement of European football on offer to potential newcomers.
While Newcastle was on the verge of qualifying for the Europa Conference League after defeating Brentford on the penultimate day of the Premier League season, Manchester United ended that dream by stunning Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Their 2-1 victory at Wembley sent sixth-placed Chelsea to the Conference League, while seventh-placed Newcastle missed out totally on continental competition.
Clearly, this is a major disappointment.
Newcastle were eliminated from the Champions League by the smallest of margins in a group that included two of the eventual semi-finals and one of the finalists, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, respectively. It’s a shame they won’t be able to follow it up for at least another season.
The aim, of course, is that having only a domestic season to focus on will help Eddie Howe rise back up the Premier League rankings.
However, some sources at St James’ Park believe an immediate return to the Champions League is unlikely.
Though the desire is evident, there is an acknowledgement that Newcastle is still a long way from the established elite in terms of accessible funds, infrastructure, and other factors.
This will be Eddie Howe’s toughest season at Newcastle.
It’s difficult to find a good spin on Newcastle finishing seventh and exiting all cup competitions very early, despite some absurdly difficult draws.
Equally, it’s difficult to classify Newcastle as an underdog given the enormity of PIF’s riches, albeit there is a caveat in that the club cannot just go out and spend money due to FFP constraints.
Still, next season will undoubtedly be Howe’s most difficult season at Newcastle.
There was minimal expectation that Newcastle would finish in the top four and reach a domestic cup final in his first full season. This time around, there have been mitigating conditions for some of the challenges, even if the injury crisis cannot be entirely faulted.
Given that Newcastle just has domestic concerns to worry about, there is no doubt that they will improve greatly from their seventh-place position.
Warnings about Newcastle’s inability to compete with other clubs in terms of money spent and infrastructure are warranted, but they will be ineffective if Newcastle do not improve.
How missing out on Europe will affect Sandro Tonali at Newcastle.
It will be fascinating to see what happens with Sandro Tonali at Newcastle United next season.
While the Italian will undoubtedly require time to recover from not playing competitive football since October, Tonali is under pressure.
Given the nature of his punishment, it would be unjust to demand that he immediately resume world-class performances.
However, despite some flashes early in his Newcastle career, the former AC Milan midfielder did not always have it easy.
When he returns to football in August, it will be intriguing to see if Eddie Howe can properly incorporate him into the team.
However, missing out on Europe has been quite disappointing.
How missing out on Europe will affect Sandro Tonali at Newcastle.
Tonali’s ban lasts until Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
According to The Athletic, if Newcastle had qualified for the Europa Conference League, they would have faced a play-off for the competition on Thursday, August 29.
That would have given the midfielder a tremendous opportunity to improve his fitness, but it is plainly out of the question today.
As a result, Newcastle will have to plan accordingly, possibly scheduling more behind-the-scenes friendlies for Tonali to play in.
He is not permitted to play in public friendlies until his suspension is over.
Sandro Tonali is particularly impressive in training—but that alone won’t be enough.
Tonali’s training performances have reportedly astounded St James’ Park insiders.
However, that will not be enough to rescue his Newcastle career.
Far more important is Howe’s performance in the Premier League, where he hopes to improve on his seventh-place result last season.
If the team fails to explain why it paid so much money to sign him, major concerns will be raised.
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