Once a week (usually) for an hour during the Premier League season, The Athletic’s Newcastle United subscribers can ask our writers covering the club for views and insight into what’s happening at St James’ Park.
Here we have pulled together some of the questions and our answers from Monday’s edition of our Inside Newcastle live Q&A, which included queries about whether any marquee signings will arrive during the upcoming window, how much Champions League qualification will affect transfer plans, and if Alexander Isak’s Arsenal absence was due to ‘mind games’ from Eddie Howe.
Chris Waugh reveals what he is hearing from inside the club ahead of an extremely important weekend (and summer).
Do you think Isak being out is mind games and letting rest for Arsenal as he did previously against Liverpool? — Anthony J
Waugh: Mind games would be a stretch. If Isak had been fit to play against Arsenal, he would have done — it was simply too important a game for him not to. The difference with Liverpool in the league in February was that there was a cup final to come and if Isak had been risked at Anfield, he may have ended up missing Wembley and the run in. This time, there were only two games remaining, one of which Newcastle desperately need to win.
Had Arsenal been the final game, perhaps Howe would have played Isak because the risk of him breaking down would not have been as significant. Everton is, theoretically at least, the ‘more winnable’ of the two games — and it’s at home.
Isak has struggled since Wembley (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Without having any updates on Isak’s fitness beyond those that Newcastle released publicly after Arsenal, my hunch is he will start against Everton. The reward likely dwarfs the risk for this match — unless there is a fear Isak could aggravate his groin problem and cause long-term damage — and, given that Newcastle have failed to score from open play during their four league matches without him this season, never mind win, having the striker at St James’ Park would provide everyone with a huge boost.
He is world class and the psychological effect he can have on his team-mates, opposition players and the crowd is almost as significant as the actual footballing impact he can provide.
Given that Newcastle have mostly cleared their short-term PSR issues, surely significant strengthening is planned regardless of Champions League qualification? — Jeff L
Waugh: Yes, Newcastle will invest this summer — there is PSR (the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules) headroom, regardless of whether they are in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. The budget will be bolstered by the Champions League because it is worth significantly more financially than the other European competitions, but there is a widely held viewpoint inside St James’ that Newcastle need to strengthen no matter what.
Determining which tier of Europe they will be playing in is not only important for the size of the kitty, but for both the number and profile of players Newcastle will target. Perversely, Newcastle are actually likely to need more players for the lesser competitions, given the punishing Thursday-Sunday schedule. There have been suggestions they will focus on a few quality additions should they make the Champions League, whereas a greater number of younger prospects may be sought if it is the Europa League or Conference League.
In all scenarios, at least four players are required — with a right-sided centre-back, right-sided forward, a striker and a goalkeeper the priorities — but potentially half a dozen or more additions could arrive.
Being in the Champions League would also increase the likelihood of Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes staying, which may also affect incomings. Failing to qualify and selling one of those would be a significant blow, but the silver lining would be that any money generated could be reinvested. Newcastle, however, are confident they can keep hold of Isak et al, regardless of whether they secure a top-five finish.
Assuming we finish in the Champions League spots, how high could we swing? What is the top calibre of player we could hope for? Is Marc Guehi, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Liam Delap the top? Or is there someone more elite? Give me someone to dream about — Patrick M
Waugh: Guehi, Mbeumo, Semenyo and Delap are among the players Newcastle have discussed internally and I expect them to try and make a move for at least one of those. Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen was also a genuine target, as he was for just about every big club in Europe and he is Real Madrid-bound, which suggests he would have been an exciting, top-quality addition.
Newcastle’s Guehi saga may continue this summer (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)
The bid for Huijsen mirrors the attempts to sign Michael Olise from Crystal Palace last summer. Newcastle were competing with European powerhouses and, while he eventually ended up at Bayern Munich, at least an attempt was made to acquire him. Use that as an indication of the type of player Newcastle will try to sign, even if Paul Mitchell has subsequently arrived as sporting director and has tweaked the approach.
Newcastle are trying to compete with Madrid, Bayern and England’s best clubs for players because they want to sign the very best. For now, they are tending to miss out and then are having to take calculated gambles on those who have been overlooked for whatever reason. But that is how they lured Isak, Sandro Tonali, Sven Botman and Guimaraes to Tyneside, their interest in whom, Botman aside, did not become public until those deals were basically happening.
That should provide encouragement enough that an exciting addition or two will arrive this summer.
Why was Will Osula signed in summer ahead of Liam Delap? — Alex W
Waugh: Newcastle have long tracked Delap and followed him at Manchester City — just as they have done since James Trafford was in the academy there. The recruitment team are fully aware of Delap’s qualities and were last summer.
Without knowing to what extent it was a choice of Osula or Delap last year, I doubt it was that simple. Osula was signed as a ‘project player’, with the 21-year-old knowing in advance that he was unlikely to start many matches initially.
Delap, on the other hand, had already been on loan three times and wanted regular game time in the Premier League. Ipswich Town could offer him that and Newcastle, given Isak is their first-choice centre-forward, could not. Had Newcastle made the Conference League, then maybe they could have countenanced signing a striker of Delap’s profile as they could have handed him greater minutes.
Yet there is also some hindsight being applied to how Delap is viewed. To score 12 goals for a relegated side is impressive, but few predicted him to excel so soon.
Regardless, Newcastle have continued to closely monitor Delap and have liked what they have seen. He is a name under consideration, given that Callum Wilson’s contract is set to expire and it seems increasingly unlikely Newcastle will exercise the one-year option they possess to extend.
Is Trafford still the most likely goalkeeper? What about Caoimhin Kelleher or Aaron Ramsdale? — Fergus O F
Waugh: Yes, Trafford is the top goalkeeper target as things stand, although he is not the only one. Reports in Spain last week claiming that Newcastle were close to signing Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, who has been linked with Arsenal and Aston Villa, were played down by sources who stress no incoming transfer deals are yet concluded.
Ramsdale is someone Howe and knows well, having signed the goalkeeper for Bournemouth, and Newcastle did float the possibility of signing him from Arsenal early last year before they knew how Nick Pope had physically recovered from his injury. Kelleher has also regularly been linked and has Premier League experience, but I have not heard that he is high on the wanted list.
Trafford certainly is. Newcastle failed with a bid for the 22-year-old in June 2024 but their interest has never gone away. Trafford’s price has only increased after an impressive Championship season and an agreement is still to be struck with newly promoted Burnley, so Newcastle are continuing to monitor alternatives.
Trafford is still a target for Newcastle (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Even if Trafford arrives, however, he will face a battle with Pope to claim the gloves. Pope is highly rated by Howe and has been impressive recently. Increased competition is being sought and Martin Dubravka may yet depart (as may the lesser-spotted Odysseas Vlachodimos).
What do you think the chances are of Sean Neave being given some decent minutes if Isak remains injured? — Andrew T
Waugh: It seems highly unlikely that Neave will get significant minutes, unless Newcastle are in the dream scenario of cruising towards victory by a comfortable scoreline (or perhaps the nightmare scenario of crashing to a heavy defeat early).
Neave is highly rated, as our conversations with his academy coaches outlined, but he is also extremely green. The 17-year-old basically skipped under-21s football, spending only a few months with the second string, and jumped straight into the first-team setup. While he has warranted that with his performances, especially when training in front of Howe, it also means that the step up is huge.
While he may be a more clinical finisher than some of the senior options, Neave had an all-round game that is unlikely to be as trusted by Howe as the alternatives would be. What’s more, he has been used in a variety of positions during senior training, including as a No 8 and as a wide forward, so it is not that he is solely viewed as a back-up to Isak.
Should Isak miss out, I suspect Wilson will continue to lead the line. Otherwise, Gordon may be played through the middle, then Osula would be the next option.
Have you got any insights into what is the club’s stance on Sean Longstaff’s future amid the rumours that he might leave? — Sean T
Waugh: Nothing has been decided with Longstaff yet, although the direction of travel seems to be towards an exit.
Longstaff has not started a league game since December 7 at Brentford and is now very much sixth-choice midfielder. There were enquiries in January and Newcastle were open to offers, but the 27-year-old wanted to stay and potentially lift the Carabao Cup, which he subsequently succeeded in doing.
Although a 12-month extension was triggered in Longstaff’s contract, ensuring his deal did not expire this summer, that was primarily prompted by the desire to protect his value. As an academy product, any fee from a sale would be banked as “pure profit” in PSR terms.
Should a decent offer arrive this summer then an exit feels likely, even if Newcastle will not force Longstaff out. The issue with a lack of “locally trained players” is one we have highlighted before and it remains the case, with Longstaff the only player Newcastle currently possess who meets that criterion, so that will enter the club’s considerations.
Newcastle will be disadvantaging themselves to an extent in that regard should Longstaff leave, and may need to consider signing a former academy graduate to try and increase the size of the squad they can name in Europe, but it may all depend upon just how lucrative any sale would prove to be.
(Top photo: Alexander Isak by Stu Forster via Getty Images)