"I DON'T BUY IT": WHY EDDIE HOWE REFUSES TO ACCEPT NEWCASTLE'S FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS
Eddie Howe defies Premier League financial rules, insisting Newcastle can outperform their 17th-place revenue rank on the pitch.
Eddie Howe isn’t letting strict financial rules dampen his ambition. If anything, he says they just make him more determined to shake things up—and he wants Newcastle’s rivals to remember that football happens on the pitch, not in some accountant’s workbook.
This Sunday, Newcastle faces Aston Villa, and it’s a reminder of how tough it is for teams punching above their weight to actually stay at the top. Thanks to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, clubs like Newcastle and Villa can’t splash the cash like the usual “Big Six”, even though both have made it to the Champions League recently. Their owners have deep pockets, but the rules keep those wallets closed.
Howe pointed to the latest Deloitte Football Money League, which puts Newcastle all the way down at 17th. Their revenue lags £380 million behind Liverpool, the top English club on that list. The gap is huge; there's no getting around it.
Still, Howe believes smart management can trump the numbers. “I’ve never thought money alone should decide who finishes where,” he said. “People say the league table follows the wage bill, but I just don’t buy that.”
He doesn’t waste time thinking about how other clubs can outspend Newcastle. If anything, that just fuels him. “We’ve got to find our own ways to win. I’ve always believed that—right from my first day in management. Football is played on the pitch, not in the bank.”
Last season, Newcastle finished fifth, even though their wage bill is only the eighth-highest in the league. Howe says the club are well aware of how far they have to go in terms of revenue. “That money league was interesting reading for us. It’s proof there’s still a long road ahead. People are probably tired of hearing us mention it, but it’s just the reality. Growing our revenues is vital, and there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make that happen.”
But at the end of the day, Howe’s philosophy is simple: make the most of what you have. “No matter what the situation is, you have to try to outperform your resources. Overachieving is the goal. Get every ounce of energy out of the squad. We still believe we can do great things, even with restrictions. We’ll always push for the very best we can get.”
Howe’s not new to this. Back when he was at Bournemouth, he took the club from League Two all the way up to the Premier League. That experience shaped the way he looks at the game now. “That first season managing, all we wanted was to stay in the league and not fall into the conference. That summer, we thought we’d be able to bring in new players to steady the ship, but then we got slapped with a transfer embargo. So we went up with the same squad.
“That taught me something important. It’s not always about what’s happening outside—signings, money, all that. Sure, those things matter the higher you climb, but real success comes from getting the best out of the players you’ve got. That’s stuck with me ever since.”
EDDIE HOWE SHUTS DOWN SANDRO TONALI ARSENAL LINKS AS NEWCASTLE STAY FIRM
Eddie Howe speaks out on Sandro Tonali's future at Newcastle United following intense transfer links with Arsenal this window.
Sandro Tonali looks happy at Newcastle, no matter what the transfer deadline rumours tried to stir up. For a little while, talk of him heading to Arsenal got loud enough that Eddie Howe felt the need to step in and set things straight. Newcastle’s manager didn’t dance around it—Tonali’s settled, involved, and locked in. Sure, coaches can’t always kill off all the outside noise, but Howe wanted everyone to know where things stood.
After those stories started swirling, Howe went straight to Tonali for a chat. He gets how fast these things can spiral. Newcastle fans have seen enough drawn-out sagas to know what uncertainty feels like, and nobody wants to go through that again.
Someone asked Howe if he thought there was more behind the rumours. He shrugged it off: “I don’t think so. That would surprise me. But there’s always stuff happening I don’t know about. As far as I see it, we’ve got a top player and a great person on our hands.”
Tonali means more to Newcastle than just his price tag or contract. They brought him in for £55 million, and he’s signed on until 2029, with an extra year option. He’s a key part of their plans, both on the pitch and on the books. Naturally, that kind of player gets attention—especially since Europe isn’t exactly overflowing with elite midfielders.
But Howe really wanted to highlight the human side of it all. “Sandro’s very happy here. He gets on well with everyone, and you can see he’s in a good place. I honestly don’t see a problem. Of course, I can’t control everything. If I knew where all these rumours came from, I’d be smarter. But Sandro’s totally fine. We talked yesterday. He’s focused on what we’re doing right now.”
He wasn’t done: “There’s no issue with Sandro. He’s happy and committed. But let’s be real—our best players are always going to turn heads elsewhere. That’s just football.”
As for the transfer window, Premier League spending rules kept Newcastle’s hands tied. Howe didn’t sugarcoat it: “Financially it wasn’t possible. We’re under restrictions and had hardly any money to use this window, so we’ll wait for the summer when the market opens up and maybe we’ll get better value.”
He admitted the squad’s still a bit lopsided, especially at the back, but he’s convinced that a healthy squad changes things.
For now, Newcastle’s just focused on the essentials. Keeping Tonali happy and at the heart of things matters way more than the latest gossip. His happiness is reassuring for the moment, but as Howe pointed out, nobody really gets to control everything in football these days.
EDDIE HOWE CONFIRMS BRUNO GUIMARAES AND LEWIS MILEY OUT VS CITY
Newcastle face a midfield crisis as Bruno and Miley are ruled out of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Manchester City. Get updates.
Eddie Howe has given the latest on Lewis Miley, Bruno Guimaraes, and Sven Botman as Newcastle United get ready for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final at Manchester City.
It’s another tough night ahead for Newcastle. They’re already two goals down after losing the first leg at St James’ Park, and now they’re missing even more key players. That third Carabao Cup final in four seasons is starting to look like a big ask.
Honestly, the stats aren’t great. Newcastle haven’t scored—let alone won—at Man City since Howe took charge. Their only win at the Etihad came way back in 2014, when Rolando Aarons and Moussa Sissoko got the goals in a 2-0 victory. Seems like a lifetime ago.
Injuries keep piling up. Tino Livramento, Joelinton, Fabian Schar, and Emil Krafth are all out. Bruno Guimaraes sat out the 4-1 loss at Liverpool with an ankle problem, and both Lewis Miley and Sven Botman stayed on the bench as unused subs.
After that Liverpool game, Howe explained the situation. “Sven had a tight thigh, and the advice was not to use him. That’s why he and Lewy were on the bench—we wanted to give them every chance to be fit. Sometimes, you hope something changes in the warm-up, but with such a quick turnaround, you just don’t have time to get all the info you need,” he said.
“With Lewy, he just couldn’t bend his knee enough to be fit.”
Asked about the chances of players returning against Manchester City, Howe said, “Probably our best bets are Sven and Lewy since they were on the bench at Liverpool. For Bruno, I’m not sure—there’s a chance, but the others are definitely out.”
But just before the City game, Howe gave another update. Turns out, both Bruno and Miley are out for this one. “Yeah, Bruno’s doing well, but I don’t think he’ll make this game—maybe the weekend. Sven Botman is okay, but I’m not sure about Lewy either.”