The Champions League beckons for Newcastle after they moved six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand - but how will qualification change the club's summer transfer plans? Sky Sports News' Keith Downie explains...
Sunday 23 April 2023 16:21, UK
'They had not planned to be dining at Europe's top table so early.'
Newcastle's match against Tottenham on Sunday was billed as a top-four shootout and the 6-1 demolition has effectively given the club one foot in next season's Champions League - with Eddie Howe's side six points clear with a game in hand.
It was a far cry from Spurs' last visit to Tyneside, a 3-2 victory on October 17, 2021, which was the first game after Amanda Staveley's Saudi-backed consortium had assumed control at St James' Park.
Much has changed during the intervening 18 months but Champions League qualification is something not even those inside the club were expecting so quickly.
Here Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie looks at how it will change their transfer plans this summer...
What will qualifying for the Champions League mean for Newcastle's summer transfer budget? And what are the implications for missing out?
It will without doubt give it a boost, but we don't know to what level yet. Much of it depends on how many points a club picks up, whether they make it through the group stage or not, and what domestic league the competing team plays in.
Nevertheless it is a hugely superior sum to what Newcastle would receive for qualifying for the Europa League. Add to that the ability to attract greater sponsorship and the Saudi-backed club could be sitting on a pretty penny that will be added to their budget.
They had not planned to be dining at Europe's top table so early, and therefore had not budgeted for it, so a top-four finish could see Newcastle move the club forward quicker than many, and even those within the club, had anticipated.
I don't think this means Newcastle will go out and buy some of the best players in the world straightaway, but it gives them the power to go back into the market for more players of the ilk of Sven Botman, Alexander Isak or Bruno Guimaraes.
Eddie Howe has gone on record to say the club are sailing close to the wind already when it comes to Financial Fair Paly (FFP), with sources within the club backing this up. It's only once they announce new sponsorship deals, which in turn brings in new revenue to the coffers, that they will be able to go big in the market (again).
But finishing in the top four will give them an unexpected financial shot in the arm. Howe is well aware that to compete in the Champions League the summer transfer window could be his busiest yet.
What sort of transfer activity can we expect from Newcastle in the summer?
I think the team needs at least six new additions whether they qualify for the Champions League or not. Howe has asked the same players to keep revisiting the well, and he can't do that when you're fighting on European front too.
You almost need a squad that you can rotate between the two competitions. We see all the biggest and best clubs do that, and Newcastle would simply not be able to cope with the physical demands of asking 2014/15 players to play upwards of 50 high-level matches a season.
Champions League qualifications makes things even tougher as selling clubs know Newcastle need to buy, but it without doubt increases the demands on the players. Every area of the squad needs new signings, so Howe and Dan Ashworth are going to have their work cut out. But it's not a bad position to be in - attempting to sign players for an assault on Europe.
The good thing for the supporters is they can be safe in the knowledge that everyone at the club is on the same page. It's not like 11 years ago when they went into Europe with only one new addition. From the top down there is understanding that the squad will need to be bulked up.
As I said previously, you won't see Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen arrive at St James' Park, but work is being done behind the scenes to add players who will compliment what they already have.
April 27: Everton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 30: Southampton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm
May 7: Arsenal (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 13: Leeds (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Leicester (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Chelsea (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
