Newcastle United cruised to a 3-1 victory over Brentford on Wednesday night to book their place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The Magpies took an early lead through Sandro Tonali, who fired in from the edge of the penalty box.
The Italian midfielder added another with a cushioned side-foot volley, as Newcastle headed to the break with a 2-0 lead.
Thomas Frank made a few changes on the hour mark, but Fabian Schar put the game to bed with a close-range finish in the 69th minute.
Yoanne Wissa’s stoppage-time goal served as no consolation for them, as Eddie Howe’s team went on to secure a comfortable win.
Howe sends strong transfer message to Newcastle board after Carabao Cup success
With the January transfer window approaching, the Premier League outfit could look to sell players to remain compliant with the league’s Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR).
However, Howe has made it clear to the club’s board that they cannot afford to lose players next month.
The English boss told Chronicle Live: “I am aware of the links and the rumours. For me, I would love to keep the squad together. I don’t want to lose anybody”.
“We don’t have the biggest squad already. So losing any players would be difficult for me. But we do have players returning from injuries. Hopefully, Sven Botman will be back soon and Emil Krafth will be back in the not too distant future. Certainly losing players is not in my thoughts.”
Sandro Tonali, who was the standout performer in Wednesday’s win against Brentford, has been attracting interest from Serie A clubs.
The Italian clubs could test the Magpies’ resolve in January, given the club’s tender PSR situation.
Kieran Trippier, Martin Dubravka and Sean Longstaff have also been linked with an exit, but Howe has made it clear he doesn’t want to lose any of these players.
Tonali has featured in 17 matches in all competitions this season, with three goal contributions to his name.
Trippier, Dubravka and Longstaff are not indispensable part of the first-team, but still they have been important members under Howe this season.
Read more: Eddie Howe disappointed to lose Newcastle pair for EFL Cup semi-final
Stats from Transermarkt