NEWCASTLE CEO Darren Eales set alarm bells ringing last week when he said the Saudi-funded Magpies will have to sell their star players to navigate Financial Fair Play rules.
Toon boss Eddie Howe then admitted he would be powerless to stop them cashing in on anyone he was desperate to keep if club chiefs thought the money was right.
Newcastle may have the world’s richest owners in Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, but that’s a fat lot of good unless they can spend their billions.
They have splashed £375million in two years but have only recouped around £45m in sales.
That’s left them unable to spend big this January after reporting losses of £73.4million – despite Howe being desperate for reinforcements.
So, with fans starting to worry about which of their favourite players may be sacrificed in the summer to turbo-charge the Saudi revolution, SunSport takes a look at who may be on the way out.
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BRUNO GUIMARAES
The life and soul of the Newcastle side, the midfielder is worshipped by the Geordies so there would be plenty of sobbing on the Tyne if Bruno were to leave.
The Brazilian international, 26, signed a new contract in October to make him the club’s highest-paid player, committing his future until 2028, but there is every chance he will not see that out.
Bruno has made no secret of his desire to play in Spain one day and the new deal is believed to include a £100m+ release clause.
One thing which would strengthen Newcastle’s hand this summer is the promise of more Champions League football – something ninth-placed Toon are going to struggle to offer him.
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Liverpool have recently been linked with Guimaraes but are they really going to spend big having revamped their midfield last summer?
Unless Eddie Howe’s side put together a brilliant run over the second half of the season to claim a top-four finish, Bruno looks the most likely to depart at the end of the campaign.
ALEXANDER ISAK
The red-hot Swedish striker may not be worshipped like Bruno but plenty of fans would rather keep Isak.
For starters, finding a new midfielder will be a damn sight easier than bringing in another striker as good as Isak.
Newcastle spent a club-record £65 million on the gangly forward 18 months ago and the 24-year-old is in the best period since arriving from Real Sociedad.
His brilliant goal during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City was his fourth goal in five games, taking his Prem tally to 10 for the season.
Lightning-quick and ice-cool in front of the goal, Isak is showing he has the potential to go all the way to the very top.
While that may see him leave Newcastle in the future, they simply have to keep hold of him if they want to mix it with Europe’s best.
But top strikers will always be in demand, so could Newcastle really afford to reject a bid in the region of £100m for him?
SVEN BOTMAN
Colossal Dutch defender Sven Botman has barely put a foot wrong in 18 months at Newcastle, making him one of Europe’s most promising young defenders.
Signed for £39million from Lille, his value has soared since then and the Magpies will be hoping for a couple more years out of him at least.
But alongside Bruno and Isak, Botman is one of the few Toon players who would command a bumper fee so it is no guarantee he stays.
With Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles their only other centre-backs, Howe would surely not entertain selling.
But as he said last week, it would be “taken out of my hands” if the club deem an offer too good to turn down.
LEWIS MILEY
The teen sensation has come from nowhere to play a starring role this season, the big winner of Newcastle’s crippling injury crisis.
The classy local midfielder, 17, is in line for a new long-term deal to remain at St James’ Park and fans would rightly be livid if he was sold.
Miley has not looked out of his depth this season and Newcastle should be looking to build a team around him for years to come.
But selling academy players can be banked as ‘pure profit’, which would help massively as the Mags look to work around strict FFP rules.
SEAN LONGSTAFF
Another academy graduate, Longstaff may never be the star of the show but Howe trusts the midfielder implicitly and always finds room for him if fit.
Reliable if not flashy, the Geordie provides the legs in Newcastle’s engine room but should be scoring more goals given the chances he has had.
Regardless, Howe is reluctant to lose any of his local lads.
Speaking last week, he said: “The rules are a shame because it shouldn’t be that way.
“Players you invest in and develop shouldn’t be the ones you benefit more from selling.
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“Sean has become a vital part of my midfield. We love him, we love Lewis and we love all our academy kids.
“They have an attachment to the football club that you can only have being local. We desperately don’t want to lose that.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
