Newcastle United are aiming to get back into Europe this season with a return to the Champions League being the ultimate aim.
Indeed, Anthony Gordon said after signing his new contract with the club that his aims this season are to get Newcastle back into the Champions League and lift a trophy. He did follow that up with an acknowledgement that people could say he's delusional, but it's good to know that the ambition is there.
Newcastle made it to the Champions League too soon in the PIF project and have now raised the expectations higher than perhaps they're capable of reaching, especially with the lack of transfer activity due to the deathgrip of PSR.
However, the reality is that Newcastle have several Champions League quality players in the squad an in order to keep them happy, they need to be playing in Europe.
Last night we reported that Arsenal and Chelsea are poised to swoop for Alexander Isak should Newcastle fail to land European football this season and now journalist Dean Jones feels they could get their wish.
Speaking on the Ranks FC podcast, Jones said he'd been told that Isak could push for a move away from Newcastle if the club fails to secure European football this season, despite being in talks over a new deal.
“Newcastle are still fully happy with him. But Alex Isak obviously has high ambitions and expectations, not just of himself, but of his career and Newcastle have to match that. Now they want him to sign a new contract.
“If he did sign a contract, there’s the potential that would have a release clause in it. Isak has to decide whether or not he wants that and whether that helps him. But equally, as I was speaking to somebody this week, if Newcastle don’t qualify for Europe this season, Alex Isak ain’t going to hang around any longer."
While this is essentially third-hand information and is to be taken with a pinch of salt, it is still highly plausible.
Isak is one of if not the top player at Newcastle and is more than capable of walking into any side and making them better, so the Magpies really have to match his ambitions and if the club fails to qualify for Europe for a second season, the discussions over the summer to convince him to stay could be quite tough.
Although, if Isak doesn't get his head on right and start scoring goals soon, he'll have no right to complain about not getting into Europe.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
14 | 18 | 35 |
2 |
Chelsea
|
15 | 17 | 31 |
3 |
Arsenal
|
15 | 14 | 29 |
4 |
Manchester City
|
15 | 6 | 27 |
5 |
Nottingham Forest
|
15 | 1 | 25 |
6 |
Aston Villa
|
15 | 0 | 25 |
7 |
Brighton
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
8 |
Bournemouth
|
15 | 3 | 24 |
9 |
Brentford
|
15 | 3 | 23 |
10 |
Fulham
|
15 | 2 | 23 |
11 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
15 | 12 | 20 |
12 |
Newcastle United
|
15 | -2 | 20 |
13 |
Manchester United
|
15 | 1 | 19 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
15 | -8 | 18 |
15 |
Everton
|
14 | -7 | 14 |
16 |
Leicester
|
15 | -9 | 14 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
15 | -6 | 13 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
15 | -13 | 9 |
19 |
Wolves
|
15 | -15 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
15 | -20 | 5 |