After the highs of our win at Wembley, our final 10 games of the Premier League season feel huge.
With Champion football offering the potential to keep star players happy, entice targets to sign and boost our income massively, it’s a huge opportunity Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United must grasp over the next two months.
Hopefully we are up to the task and can use our cup success as a springboard, starting next Wednesday against Brentford, with a massive summer to follow as we look to strengthen several areas of the first team.
As revealed by Mark Douglas in his latest piece for the i, Newcastle are building towards a big summer with several “ambitious” targets under discussion.
Three of those are named in the report; Bournemouth’s teenage centre-back Dean Huijsen, PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko and impressive Ipswich striker Liam Delap.
A trio of exciting talents who could be superb at St James’ Park under Eddie Howe, but there is a catch; all three are thought to have indicated to the club that Champions League football is a ‘strong preference’ as they prepare for summer moves.
Huijsen has a £50m release clause in his Cherries contract and is almost certain to depart this summer – as teammate Justin Kluivert confirmed in a surprisingly open interview yesterday – while Bakayoko is a Belgian international who has been linked with a number of top Premier League clubs, along with German giants Borussia Dortmund.
Delap has been one of the standout players from the newly-promoted sides and has the potential to be Harry Kane’s long-term replacement for England, with Chelsea believed to be huge fans of the powerful 22-year-old.
In Douglas’ piece for the i, he reveals that Arsenal are on course to earn £90m from the current Champions League campaign, while top six contenders Aston Villa have already banked over £40m.
It’s the most lucrative competition in world football and considered a vital part of Newcastle’s growth, with chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan determined to see the club qualify season on season; not just to grow our global brand but build revenue streams.
The i reveal that Newcastle are working on a number of commercial deals which will become even more lucrative should we qualify for the Champions League, while our payments from kit supplier Adidas would ‘multiply’ should a top five finish secure a return to Europe’s elite competition.
Former Manchester City striker Liam Delap always confident he could score goals for Ipswich Town to give Blues fighting chance of Premier League survival