Having endured a season to forget on the pitch, which has so far seen Eddie Howe's side fail to replicate the form that saw them qualify for the Champions League last time out, Newcastle United now face problems away from St James' Park. The Magpies could soon have no choice but to bid farewell to some key players, perhaps even in the January transfer window.
Newcastle's FFP situation explained
The Premier League's profit and sustainability rules have left Newcastle walking a fine line when it comes to Financial Fair Play sanctions. According to The Guardian, the rules state that over the course of three seasons, a club is only allowed to record a loss of £105m. Newcastle's in that time period stands at a reported £155m, but the Magpies are safe from any punishment for now due to investment into the women's team, academy or charity foundation.
PIF will likely have to sell before they can think about spending big once more though, with chief executive Darren Eales saying earlier this month: "If we’re going to get to where we want to get to, at times, it’s necessary to trade your players. It’s a counterintuitive part of the PSR system that there is an incentive to trade players if you want to reinvest.”
That said, reports suggest that the Magpies could be set to lose a key player before the end of the month. According to Football Transfers, Chelsea are considering matching Newcastle's £18m asking price for Callum Wilson, who has also been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in the winter window.
The forward has been at the club since 2020, but could now leave amid Newcastle's FFP fears in a deadline beating move, with the Blues themselves in desperate need of a truly clinical number nine who won't break the bank.
Newcastle must keep "excellent" Wilson
Given that Chelsea sit ninth, two points and one place above Newcastle in the Premier League, it wouldn't exactly be wise for those at St James' Park to sanction Wilson's exit to the London club this month, or to wherever else for that matter. The former Bournemouth man holds the experience that Alexander Isak lacks and is still going stride for stride with the Swede, who is not ready to take up the goalscoring mantel on his own just yet. Here's how Wilson's stats compare to Isak's in the Premier League this season…
Callum Wilson
7
7
1
7.2
Alexander Isak
13
10
0
10.1
After working with Howe at Bournemouth and now Newcastle, Wilson is certainly one of Howe's favourites, with the manager full of praise for the forward back in their days on the South Coast, telling Sky Sports: "Callum was excellent today, as was Josh King – they caused lots of problems today. It is testament to Callum's professionalism that he is able to play 90 minutes, he has worked hard on his comeback. It was great to see him score and the team were boosted by his return."