According to Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle United, the club cannot afford superstar players like Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.
This is despite the fact that Newcastle is now one of the richest clubs in the world following a takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021.
Howe stated that “We could not be able to come close to affording those players…so we need to go underneath and find them young and develop them into the players they can be.”
Since the takeover, Newcastle has spent around £250m on signings, including Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, and record purchase Alexander Isak.
These signings have helped Newcastle rise to third place in the Premier League with five games remaining in the season, putting them in contention to qualify for the Champions League.
Despite being linked with moves for Neymar and Ronaldo, Howe insists that the club is not focused on recruiting big names, and that financial constraints prevent them from doing so.
He also emphasized that the transfer market is a complex decision and that careful thought needs to be put into finding the right players for the team.
While Newcastle is linked with different names, Howe has a clear direction for the team and a realistic view of what the club can and can’t do in the transfer market. Howe concluded by stating that
“Those two players are unbelievable players,” referring to Neymar and Ronaldo, “but we have to bring the right people and the right players into the group.”
Newcastle will play second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.