Newcastle United has put five players up for sale in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
According to 90min, the Magpies are working hard to obtain their top targets in the January transfer window.
Despite this purpose, the Tyneside club is concerned that the FFP restrictions will prevent them from signing the players they desire.
For example, it would reportedly cost £50 million to sign James Maddison at St James’ Park, which is currently regarded as an unlikely proposition in the winter window despite being Eddie Howe’s top target.
As a result, the Toon could look to put the likes of Chris Wood, Jamal Lascelles, Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie, and Jamal Lewis up for sale. This would raise funds and free-up wages, which could be used to make additional signings.
Over the summer, the Magpies spent £122.4m in the transfer market.
Although this was calculated wisely, it was still a big portion of the budget, which is now rather limited in January.
Therefore, selling those fringe players – who rarely make the cut in Howe’s squad – makes perfect sense for a well-run club, like Newcastle.
The team is hoping to add excellent depth to their roster as they push for Champions League qualification this season.
This includes developing the rotation players in order to welcome those capable of challenging the starting XI.
As a result, if Newcastle is to bring in players like Maddison, they will most likely have to let go of a few players first, before considering any big-money signings.
