Eddie Howe warns Newcastle must endure ‘short-term pain’ by not replacing players this month – as Miguel Almiron nears £10m departure
- Mail Sport understands that Almiron’s departure means the club does not have to sell any stars
- Howe admitted it was ‘not ideal’ not to be able to replace departing players
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts! Is Everton where they need to be or are the club’s fans delusional?
Eddie Howe has warned that Newcastle will have to endure ‘short-term pain’ by losing players and not replacing them this month.
Mail Sport understands that Miguel Almiron’s expected departure to Atlanta United for £10 million means the club will now not be forced to sell stars against their wishes ahead of June’s PSR deadline, as they did with Elliot Anderson last summer.
Supporters have wondered where the £50m Newcastle agreed to spend on Marc Guehi in August went, especially as the last time they signed a first-team player was in 2023.
But Howe said: ‘It’s not as clear as everyone will think: there’s no pot of money out there waiting to be spent. It’s all about June 30th and making sure you’re compliant before that date. If you spend money, you have to earn it back later.’
However, Howe says he understands the situation and that he and sporting director Paul Mitchell are on the same page, although he would always prefer departing players to be replaced.
“It’s not ideal,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s ideal from anyone’s perspective. For our part, we don’t want to lose any players. But we know there is a reality to PSR and the ongoing management of that situation. So sometimes we make decisions that are not based on football, but based on decisions that we may have to make for the future.’
Eddie Howe warned Newcastle will have to endure ‘short-term pain’ with player sales

The expected departure of Miguel Almiron for £10 million should stop Newcastle from selling stars
It was put to Howe that making decisions for today – buying new players this month – will sort out tomorrow’s finances, if it proves the difference between qualifying for the Champions League and not.
“I see the point and it is valid,” he said. ‘But when you are armed with the whole picture, it can look very different. We have to make decisions together. And that is the most important thing: it is not one person who dictates to me: “We are going to do that”. There may come a time when that has to be the case if I disagree strongly enough with something. But I have to give a logical answer to what the solution is, when I say that.
‘We must work together to make the right decisions, for the here and now and the future. We will try to do that together and that is the best way, with teamwork and consultation. But I will make this clear: no one wants to lose players from our current squad, especially in positions where we are a bit vulnerable. Why would we want to put ourselves in that position? But when you are armed with all the facts, sometimes you have to accept that short-term pain.”
He added: ‘If you don’t have control over it, but you know it’s for the benefit of the club, then you can’t block things even if you don’t necessarily support it. You can’t be too smart because it’s about the long-term financial future of the football club. You have to make smart decisions. Sometimes you know they will have an impact on the team in the short term, but you have to endure that pain.”
Does that pain set the club up for a great summer in the transfer market?
“I don’t know if this summer will be any different and suddenly the outlook changes completely,” Howe said. “I guess that’s for another day. What I would say is that the future out there hopefully looks very different. Whether I am here to enjoy that future, as a football manager, is difficult to say!’