Newcastle United have been in a mess for some time now – and it’s not getting any better. Not in terms of personnel, not financially. Radical steps are being discussed
The current European season is already over for Newcastle United and the next one is in danger: after finishing bottom of their group in the Champions League, the nouveau riche club is currently only in ninth place in the Premier League – and the trend is not necessarily upwards.
After three defeats in a row recently, there are already nine in the league table ahead of matchday 21, compared to five in the previous season – like champions Manchester City. The fact that things are different this season, which started so well internationally with the 4:1 victory over Paris St. Germain, is largely due to an injury scare that just won’t go away. Now Joelinton has been hit.
Coach Eddie Howe announced the 27-year-old all-rounder’s absence on Friday ahead of the home game against Man City on Saturday evening. “It doesn’t look good, he’ll miss at least six weeks,” said the successful coach, who led the Magpies to fourth place last season. A hamstring of the former Hoffenheim player is affected, who Howe describes as the “driving force in our midfield”. “It’s a big blow. “
The 46-year-old has another “problem”: Financial Fair Play. Newcastle’s coach would like to add personnel in midfield and attack, but his hands are pretty much tied. “Otherwise we would have brought in new players long ago.”
NUFC’s finances are a general concern at the moment, not least due to a loss of over €85 million in the last financial year. In the past three years, it has even made a good 180 million euros. As a result, the club is not far removed from the Premier League’s “profit and sustainability regulations” – sustainable financial regulations – which actually only tolerate losses of around €122 million over a three-year period. However, investments in the women’s team or donations are also taken into account as an equivalent value when calculating the loss.
Does Newcastle need a bigger stadium?
Nonetheless, the turnover leaves the ambitious club management dissatisfied. CEO Darren Eales recently complained that the club’s turnover is only around €290 million and that the club wants to establish itself permanently in the so-called top 6. At the lower end, as Eales put it, even Tottenham is already at over 510 million – champions Manchester City are even at almost 830 million.
“We need to increase our income,” Eales made clear and not only brought up the possible sale of a top player. The CEO also did not want to categorically rule out moving out of the famous St. James’ Park, whose capacity of 52,000 spectators is now pretty much exhausted. “If you want to move up, that brings big challenges with it. “