Newcastle United will be planning for a return to Europe during the summer transfer window.
Otherwise, The Magpies would likely have to settle for a Europa League spot for next season. Newcastle can still technically qualify for the Conference League but it would require a highly unlikely turn of events to take place.
Newcastle secured at least Conference League qualification by winning the Carabao Cup in March but are now almost certain to miss out on the competition in favour of the Europa League or Champions League instead. For Newcastle to qualify for the Conference League, they would have to finish seventh, which can only happen if Nottingham Forest beat Chelsea, Aston Villa get a result against Manchester United and Everton beat them by three clear goals more than Forest beat Chelsea.
In addition, Chelsea would have to lose the Conference League final against Real Betis so that their Europa League spot isn’t passed down the table.
There are so many complications, it’s probably safe to rule it out.
While it’s not clear exactly what competition Newcastle will be playing in, they will be in some form of European competition next season and would therefore have to adhere to UEFA squad rules. Which, as they found out during their 2023-24 Champions League campaign, can be quite frustrating.
Newcastle United set to be punished by UEFA rules
UEFA rules require at least four club-trained players to be named in a squad in order to fill the full 25-man quota for the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. It’s the rule that saw club-trained player Paul Dummett named in Newcastle’s Champions League squad over the likes of Matt Ritchie, Mark Gillespie, Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo last season.
It also saw young players like Ben Parkinson, Aidan Harris and Michael Ndiweni named on the bench for Newcastle in Champions League matches over seasoned professionals.
But after losing Dummett and Elliot Anderson last summer, Sean Longstaff is Newcastle’s only senior club-trained player. Lewis Miley can also be classed as club-trained but, as he’s under 21, he does not need to be included in the main squad list.
Longstaff has been linked with leaving Newcastle this summer after limited first-team minutes this season. The midfielder’s contract expires at the end of next season after The Magpies triggered an extention but Eddie Howe has suggested his future is ‘unclear’.
Selling Longstaff would leave Newcastle without any club-trained players and would see them punished by UEFA rules by having to reduce their European squad to just 21 players. After struggling to deal with the added fixtures of European football last time around with three club-trained players, having a reduced European squad for next season could be seen as a risk for Howe’s side.
Newcastle could still find a way around the rules by exploiting the free agent market this summer.
Newcastle United club-trained players available on free transfers
While Newcastle have no senior club-trained players in at the club at the moment, there are several who could be available for free transfers this summer. This is not to say The Magpies would entertain such business, but it is a way of bolstering the squad for Europe without breaking the bank.
A club-trained player is any player who played for the club in question for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
The only active Premier League player who is a free agent this summer and ‘club-trained’ at Newcastle United is 39-year-old James Milner. Milner has played just three times for Brighton & Hove Albion this season and is thought to be considering staying on the South Coast in a coaching capacity.
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Fraser Forster is out of contract in the summer and was club-trained at Newcastle, as was Tim Krul, who is set to leave Luton Town next month.
28-year-old goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is also out of contract at Preston North End and has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Manchester United interested. Newcastle currently have five contracted goalkeepers but all five are facing an uncertain future.
Other Newcastle club-trained players who have played in the Premier League this season include Elliot Anderson and Adam Armstrong. Newcastle would be required to sign three club-trained players in order to fill a full 25-man squad in Europe next season.
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