Newcastle United are gearing up for a tough campaign in which they will return to the Champions League, and while the main aim this summer is to add strength and depth to the squad, UEFA's rules pose another problem for Eddie Howe.
Every club participating in a UEFA competition has to fill a quota of eight homegrown players. As per the UEFA website, this includes the following:
1. Club-trained players who were on a club's books for three entire seasons (i.e. the period between the first and last official match of the relevant national championship) or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.
2. Association-trained players who were on another club's books in the same association for three entire seasons (i.e. the period between the first and last official match of the relevant national championship) or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.
Advertisement
Thumbnail 6
Screenshot - Instagram/@girondins
Andy Carroll is moving home
Newcastle need to bolster their homegrown ranks for the Champions League
Newcastle have a few players that fit that bill, so it's not as desperate a situation as we're led to believe, but the one player who ticks all the boxes and is over the age of 21 which would require squad registration, is Sean Longstaff and he is expected to be moved on this summer.
Reports have suggested that Newcastle are flirting with the idea of bringing back a goalkeeper who was trained at the club as a youth, with Fraser Forster and Tim Krul two possibilities.
However, another former Magpie has suddenly become available, and they could be our Scott Carson, who can sit in the squad to bolster the homegrown numbers.
Advertisement
Andy Carroll is soon to be available
After the club announced his departure on Instagram, Andy Carroll is leaving Bordeaux after two years in France in order to be closer to his kids.
The 36-year-old has returned to Newcastle once already following his record-breaking move to Liverpool, and it didn't go too well for him, but this time he wouldn't even be expected to play, never mind roll back the years and score goals.
Although with 11 goals in 21 games for Bordeaux, he still clearly knows where the net is.
It's certainly something worth considering for Newcastle. And just imagine, Andy Carroll comes off the bench in a desperate Eddie Howe move in the Champions League final and he nods home the winning goal.
Damn, this heat is really affecting my brain. Sorry for that outburst of stupidity.