THE TOON IN JUNE
Howe: We have a one-month long release clause for £100m Bruno We won’t be buying any elite, ready-made stars this summer
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BY SIMON BIRD
EDDIE HOWE has fired a warning to PSG and Manchester City to pay up £100million for Bruno Guimareas before the end of June or back off.
The Newcastle boss has revealed the Brazilian midfielder has a release clause clubs can trigger during June.
Guimaraes is on the summer target list of City and the French club. Howe admits he cannot predict the future of either Guimaraes or Alexander Isak but is desperate to keep them both.
Howe says Newcastle are NOT in the position to sign “elite, readymade” stars this summer.
And he says he has one eye on having to “fight, live again, and create a slightly different team” should he lose a big name.
Howe said: “I’m aware of his contractual status but it’s not something I focus on. Having that was well planned and structured by the club, in a sense that there is a finish point.
“We don’t want the constant speculation, I don’t think that’s healthy for the player or for us.
“When it’s something you don’t necessarily have control over, I don’t tend to worry about (the speculation). It goes without saying what my thoughts on the Bruno situation are. We want to
keep him, we want to build our team around him and he’s an integral part of what we are doing. His form has been very good. He seems very happy and settled.
“He will be thinking about a busy summer ahead and where we can hopefully take the team. He is a big part of that. We are not in control of that, so we shall see.”
Isak is a target for Arsenal and Barcelona but the Toon want to keep him.
The reality of the Saudi PIF ownership is different from the expectation.
Owner Amanda Staveley (right) said last year the club wanted to win everything within five to 10 years.
But the Saudis have not pumped in the expected millions
in sponsorship deals yet. Howe said: “We can’t sign ready-made elite players. We have to be slightly different to clubs we are in and around.
“The only frustrating thing for me is when the outside expectations aren’t linear with what is the reality of what you are working with. Then you become a little bit frustrated because expectation and talk and all the rumours that we are supposed to be signing these players, it lifts expectations but the reality has been different for us.
“These ‘big names’ are the talk of everything but I don’t know what’s going to happen this summer. I can’t predict the future but whatever happens, we can fight, live again and create a
slightly different team. That might be what we have to do but it’s certainly not what I want to do.
“I want to make minimal changes but changes that can transport us forward. We just have to adjust when it happens.
“Where we sit now, both in terms of wages and transfer fees, I don’t think we are in a position to do that. We have to sign and develop those players. We have to sign players with the potential to become world class.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t have them existing in your squad. It means you have to work really hard with them. That is what we’ve always done so I have no issue doing it.
“The supporters have been really understanding. The more you see other clubs operate as well, we are not exclusively in this position. A lot of other clubs are where we are, where financial restrictions are limiting our ability to do certain things.”
Newcastle play Sheffield United today needing a win to bolster their hopes of playing in Europe next season.
Howe added: “The players know any form of European qualification would be a success. We want the bigger, better competition. If we can achieve European competition we go into next season with hope and optimism. It should all be positive.”