10 May 2024 , 10:46
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Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes WILL be Newcastle players next season - after Eddie Howe blasted £200m transfer rumours surrounding his star men.
Isak is Arsenal's top target for the summer window and rated at £120m, and Guimaraes has a £100m release clause that goes live in June for a month and only a handful of clubs could afford him including Man CIty and PSG.
Howe says it would set Newcastle back into rebuild mode if they lost either and he is planning for BOTH to spearhead the Toon next term.
But Newcastle face an internal debate over the future of Callum Wilson who has a year left on his contract and is a big asset as they look to stay within financial fair play rules.
Isak has 20 goals this season and Howe said: “I'm planning for them to be here. All my planning is with them in the squad.
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“We don't want to sell our best players. That is hugely important for us, it will knock us back some considerable distance because we would have to start again.
"There is no weakness in the club to say we are going to sell anyone. There is no desire from anyone at the football club to sell our best players."
Asked if the Swede could have his head turned in the summer, Howe said: “Judging by Alex's performances and training and just how he is day to day, I don't see him thinking about those things or dealing with those rumours.
Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes are also said to be on Real Madrid's radar (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)“It's business as usual. When you're in the position that he's in and he's scoring goals, you get used to people talking about you and possibly creating rumours that are true, aren't true, I've got no idea.
“We're just focusing on our future with Alex, we're focusing on trying to build our team with him in it. He's going to be an integral part of our future.
“We signed him knowing that he was young and we wanted to develop his talents and give him an opportunity to showcase what he could do and for me, that was a long-term thing that we started with him, a long-term journey, hopefully, and I've just seen him flourish this year.
“I think he's enjoyed the environment, he's enjoyed the team that he's played in and I hope he does that for many years to come.”
Eddie Howe has been impressed with the development of Alexander Isak (Getty Images)Isak’s camp will seek talks over a new deal which pays him as much as Champions League clubs would, and Howe said: “The beauty of the structure of football clubs now is that it is not my decision and I don’t implement that discussion. I give my views on the player and how important he is to us and what I see for the team. The club will do the rest.”
Howe admits some players will leave this summer. Miggy Almiron could be the first and head to Saudi Arabia, but Howe would ideally want to keep Wilson.
Howe said: "There is always a different view point. I have one as a manager trying to win football matches and the club have to be sustainable and comply with the rules and financial fair play.
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“We work together as a team on that. There is no part of me that will ever go against the club, and there is no part of the club who would willingly go against me if they didn’t think it was the right thing for the long term future.
Newcastle have won 12 of their 18 home league games this season and always scored. Howe’s side are gunning for sixth place and Howe said: “We’ve got a second wind in terms of how we looked. December and January we didn’t look ourselves but into February and March we found ourselves again and last game we looked strong athletically. We are in a good place.”
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