Newcastle United are keen to avoid becoming like Everton and Nottingham Forest as they battle their way through the tricky Financial Fair Play rules, claims Craig Hope, who believes there is a sense of ‘paranoia’ over spending in St James Park.
The Magpies are yet to sign a contract in the January transfer window despite having a massive injury crisis this season and plenty of areas to strengthen after a taxing season that saw them battle in four competitions, including the Champions League.
But despite technically being the richest club in the world thanks to their Saudi backing under the Public Investment Fund, Newcastle are being ‘crippled’ by FFP rules as they try to avoid Premier League sanctions.
Everton and Nottingham Forest have both been charged with breaching spending rules, with the Toffees receiving a 10-point penalty before being charged again this month.
Newcastle were linked with the likes of Kalvin Phillips this month, but saw the Man City star instead loaned out to West Ham, while a number of their top players were linked with moves.
According to Craig Hope, Newcastle are keen to avoid becoming ‘like Everton and Forest’
Everton have been handed a 10-point penalty after breaching Premier League spending rules
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Mail Sport’s Newcastle pundit Craig Hope joined Ian Ladyman Tuesday’s It’s All Kicking Off – Transfer Week podcast and was asked why Eddie Howe’s side have had so much difficulty balancing their books while staying within FFP requirements.
“You can have all the money in the world – and in theory Newcastle does, given its owners – it’s the ability to spend it that makes the difference,” Hope said.
‘With FFP restrictions, Newcastle is right at its limit. Why? They pre-loaded the stipend they inherited from Mike Ashley. The one good thing about taking over a club from Mike Ashley is that in an FFP world you have plenty to spend. Newcastle did just that: they’ve spent £400 million so far without taking anything in.
‘It’s January and there’s no wiggle room. It had to be one out and one in. The ambition is there, but they are completely paralyzed by the FFP regulations.’
Hope said there was ‘paranoia’ at Newcastle amid fears they could follow Everton and Forest in being sued by the Premier League if they were not careful, especially given the ‘perception’ they have as a club with great financial support.
Eddie Howe’s side ‘crippled’ by FFP rules after struggling to bring in names
‘The conversations I have had with sources at Newcastle – Forest and Everton are routinely quoted. They don’t want to be that club.
‘There is a bit of paranoia in their perception: if Newcastle get anywhere near that limit there is a feeling that the Premier League is closing in on them. They don’t want that. Is ghost the right word? It certainly had an impact on their mindset as they entered this window.”
Ladyman then asked Hope if he thought Newcastle had ‘misjudged’ their signings after being left in this predicament, but he added that it was Howe’s excellent coaching that took the club from relegation fighters to a Champions League team brought.
However, he did claim the Magpies had been given a ‘reality check’ as they tried to compete with restrictions.
“I don’t think they misjudged in terms of early recruitment,” Hope continued. ‘If you look at the first ten purchases they made, they were absolutely right – that was quite incredible. Thanks to good coaching and recruitment, taking a team from 19th to fourth in 18 months is unheard of – it was almost unprecedented.
Hope claimed there was ‘paranoia’ around St James Park as they waded through the FFP rules
‘There was this idea that the presence of Saudi money was the reason Newcastle got to where they are today. Getting every signing right is the exception and not the rule – Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes, linked to Eddie’s great coaching with what he already had.
‘Where things did go wrong was last summer. They spent £150 million on four players – for some reason they have had no impact at all. They have made fewer than fifteen starts between them. This season was a reality check. Everything had been planned for Newcastle for so long, this season was a reality check in terms of how difficult it would be to get into the top four permanently in an FFP world.”
Meanwhile, the main news around Newcastle was about possible exits.
Kieran Trippier has been heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich, with the Bavarians rejecting a £12.8million bid before the player committed to staying at St James’ Park.
Meanwhile, Mail Sport also revealed on Tuesday that Miguel Almiron would also stay put, despite interest from Saudi company Al Shabab. There has also been talk of Joelinton leaving the club, as well as interest from other clubs in Callum Wilson and Guimaraes.
He insisted no players will leave St James’ Park this month, despite a number of names being linked with an exit – including Kieran Trippier
But Hope made it clear that no Newcastle players will leave the club this month – revealing Joelinton’s future was in doubt after asking for too much money from the club – putting them at risk of destroying their wage structure.
“Are any of those guys leaving after weeks of phone calls and noise? No, they’re not, they’re staying,” he said. ‘Trippier’s move to Bayern is off, they wouldn’t go high enough and the club didn’t want to sell anyway. Callum Wilson, there was interest but nothing came of it. Almiron was the one, but that’s not going to happen.
‘Joelinton, that’s one for the summer. He asks for money that the club is not willing to pay due to FFP restrictions. One of their great successes is managing a pay structure.
“If you shatter that, you have five players knocking on your day asking for parity with Joelinton. If his demands are not met, he will be sold in the summer.’
He said he would be ‘surprised but not shocked’ if director of football Dan Ashworth left Newcastle for Manchester United
Transfers aside, a potential exit is rumored to be Newcastle’s director of football. Mail Sport reports that he is likely to make the move to Manchester United to take on a similar role under new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
When pressed on Ashworth’s future, Hope added: ‘I would be surprised but not shocked if Dan Ashworth went to Manchester United. I think he came to Newcastle and there was a project from outside that they were the richest football club in the world. But they shouldn’t be.
‘Dan Ashworth works under such restrictions and there is also a process side to it. He did not enter and receive the keys to the kingdom. Eddie has a lot of power at that football club; no player enters without his permission. Then you have the Saudi element. Every decision goes back to Riyadh.
“Ashworth is not unhappy, there have been no consequences, but perhaps what is on offer at Man United is a lot more autonomy and space to influence things and I think he may be tempted by that.”