Newcastle forced to rethink transfer plans - The Telegraph
A sobering update on the transfer front has arrived from The Telegraph this afternoon.
In his latest 'exclusive', North-East reporter Luke Edwards claims that plans for a squad overhaul have been altered due to ongoing fears over Financial Fair Play rules.
With a net spend of almost £250m across the past three windows, Man City and Everton hit with recent breaches and the club still working to boost commercial revenues that were non existent under Mike Ashley, he reports that we'll have a limited budget and less scope than first anticipated for a flurry of big-money signings.
The Telegraph state that two major signings are still being pursued, but FFP issues mean we could look to cut-price moves for recently relegated gems - Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters is mentioned as one to watch - and loans with options to buy alongside a pair of "difference makers."
Added creativity to unlock low block defences is high on the priority list and it's believed the new mantra is 'quality over quantity', as the funds are not available at present to oversee a major overhaul - despite Champions League qualification and the financial benefits of a top-four finish.
The piece adds that Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby and RB Leipzig’s Dominic Szoboszlai are beyond our budget, while a deal for James Maddison is 'slowly progressing', with Leicester currently demanding more (£60m) than we're willing to pay and Spurs still fighting for his signature.
Perhaps this is a ploy from the club - briefing local press that our budget is lower than many expected - to guard against the 'Newcastle tax' and expectations we'll spend big, but it is certainly a sobering update that may show the reality of our FFP issues, for now at least.
