Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has issued a hands-off warning to potential suitors for star men Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
Brazil midfielder Guimaraes has been linked repeatedly with Paris St Germain in recent months, while Sweden striker Alexander Isak, who was this week named on the shortlists for the Premier League Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards, has been touted as a summer target for Arsenal and Tottenham.
However, asked if he expects both to remain at St James’ Park next season, head coach Howe replied: “Yes, I do, I’m planning for them to be here. Yes, all my planning is with them in the squad.”
Guimaraes, a £35million arrival from Lyon in January 22, and record signing Isak, who cost the Magpies £63million when he joined from Real Sociedad two summers ago, have been huge hits on Tyneside .
Isak in particular is in a rich vein of form and took his goals tally for the season to 24 – 20 of them in the league – in last weekend’s 4-1 win at Burnley, and his potency is a jealously-guarded weapon.
Howe said: “We signed him knowing that he was young and we wanted to develop his talents and give him an opportunity to showcase what he could do and for me, that was a long-term thing that we started with him, a long-term journey, hopefully, and I’ve just seen him flourish this year.
“I think he’s enjoyed the environment, he’s enjoyed the team that he’s played in and I hope he does that for many years to come.”
However, chief executive Darren Eales’ admission earlier this year that Newcastle may have to trade in the future in order to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules after a £400million spending spree has created the perception that they may have to offload some of their biggest names.
Howe said: “We’re looking to build a squad and a really successful team and to do that, we don’t want to sell our best players.
“That is hugely important for us. It would knock us back some considerable distance because we would have to start again.
“There is no weakness in the club to say we are going to sell anyone. But, of course, financial fair play is there and we’ll have to comply like everyone else.”
Eddie Howe on @trippier2:
"Kieran is getting closer; he has trained this week. It was the first time with the group. He trained well, it has been a good week for him. I will make a decision today whether he will be involved tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/tBMWU3IRi4
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) May 10, 2024
Howe is aware that difficult decisions may have to be made at some point, but is confident he and the ownership will come to the right conclusions for the club.
Speaking as he prepared his team for its final home game of the season against Brighton on Saturday, he said: “There is no part of me that will ever go against the club, and there is no part of the club who would willingly go against me if they didn’t think it was the right things for the long term future.”
Meanwhile, full-back Kieran Trippier will hope to prove his fitness for England’s Euro 2024 finals campaign this weekend after return to training following a two-month lay-off with a calf injury.
