Eddie Howe has admitted he “can’t guarantee” that Newcastle will not sell more players in the January transfer window in order to comply with Premier League spending rules.
The Magpies were forced to offload Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh in the summer to ensure they did not fall foul of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and face a possible points deduction.
And speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brentford, Howe hinted that more movement is likely next month as the club continue to work within the parameters of a system he recently criticised as “not right”.
Howe said: “The days when teams don’t sell players, unless your revenue streams are so big, are gone. So I think our revenue streams aren’t where we want them to be.
“We are trying to grow them, so I think trading in and out is going to be essential. Hopefully it’s not going to be players that we are forced to sell like we were in that situation (in the summer) with a couple of days of deadlines approaching.
“Hopefully it’s a more stable setting but you can’t guarantee anything. Nothing is absolutely fixed and there will be lots of twists and turns.”
Howe will run the rule over his squad ahead of their trip to west London in the wake of their gruelling 3-3 draw with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday.
Although the Magpies boss reported no new injuries, he noted the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon were struggling at the end of the St James’ Park clash and will need to be carefully assessed.
One piece of good news for Howe could be the return of Kieran Trippier, who missed the Liverpool game due to illness but is likely to be included in the travelling squad.
“There were some tired bodies in the team,” admitted Howe. “Anthony Gordon was fatigued at the end of his performance and naturally when you empty like that and you give so much to the game, there’s going to be a hit.
“Alex worked extremely hard and he was tired at the end of the game, so our job is to refuel the group and go again in what is a great opportunity for us.”
Meanwhile, Howe warned of a potentially “steep” psychological comedown after the Liverpool clash as they head to face Thomas Frank’s men, who are looking to rebound from their midweek defeat to Aston Villa.
“Certainly as a player, I felt that after any game there was a comedown, but I think it will be a steep one after that Liverpool game,” added Howe.
“I think our challenge this weekend is to find a way to hit the same levels of intensity and mental qualities that we showed on Wednesday.”
