Eddie Howe warns Newcastle must endure 'short-term pain' by not replacing players this month – as Miguel Almiron nears £10m departure

Eddie Howe has warned that Newcastle will have to endure some ‘short-term pain’ by losing players and not replacing them this month.

Mail Sport understands that the expected £10million departure of Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United means the club will not now be forced to sell stars against their wishes before June’s PSR deadline, as they were last summer with Elliot Anderson.

Supporters have wondered where the £50m that Newcastle were ready to spend on Marc Guehi back in August has gone to, especially as they last signed a first-team player in 2023.

But Howe said: ‘It’s not as clear as everyone will make out, there’s not a pot of money there waiting to be spent. It’s all about the 30th of June and making sure you comply by that date. If you spend money, then you have to recoup it at a later date.’

Howe, though, says he understands the situation and that he and sporting director Paul Mitchell are aligned, even if he would always prefer outgoing players to be replaced.

‘It’s not ideal,’ he said. ‘But I don’t think it’s ideal from anyone’s viewpoint. From our side, we don’t want to lose players. But we know that there is a reality to PSR and the ongoing managing of that situation. So sometimes we are making decisions not based on football, but based on decisions we potentially have to make for the future.’

The expected £10m departure of Miguel Almiron should prevent Newcastle from selling stars

It was put to Howe that making decisions for today – buying new players this month – will take care of tomorrow’s finances, if it proves the difference between Champions League qualification and not.

‘I get the point and it’s valid,’ he said. ‘But when you’re armed with the whole picture it can look very different. We have to make decisions together. And that’s the key thing, it’s not one person dictating to me, “That’s what we’re going to do”. There might come a time when that might have to be the case if I disagree strongly enough on something. But I’ve then got to give a logical response as to what the solution is, if I say that.

‘We have to work together to make the right decisions, for the here and now and the future. We will try to do that together and that’s the best way, with teamwork and consultation. But I will make this clear – no-one wants to lose any players from our current squad, especially in positions where we are a little bit fragile. Why would we want to leave ourselves in that position? But when you’re armed with all the facts, sometimes you have to take that short-term pain.’

He added: ‘If you can’t control it, but you know it’s for the benefit of the club, then while you don’t necessarily have to be supportive of it, you can’t block things. You can’t be too clever because it’s about the long-term financial future of the football club. You’ve got to make smart decisions, sometimes decisions that you know will impact the team short term but you have to take that pain.’

Does that pain set up the club for a bumper summer in the transfer market?

‘I don’t know if this summer will be different and suddenly the outlook totally changes,’ said Howe. ‘I think that’s for another day. What I would say is that hopefully the future beyond looks very different. Whether I’m here to enjoy that future, as a football manager, is difficult to say!’