Paul Mitchell poised to strike on clubs facing similar PSR issues as Newcastle United last summer

We were never big fans of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), but when the stupid rules forced us to sell two bright young stars in the form of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson last summer, despite having the wealthiest backers in the league, we really started to hate it.

As Simon Jordan said recently, it's absolutely not about 'sustainability' if Newcastle United aren't allowed to spend money, as there is literally zero chance of our owners running into financial difficulties.

However, this is the sandbox we, and indeed the other 19 clubs in the Premier League have to play in, so Newcastle will be looking to flip the script this summer.

Newcastle have worked hard to build up enough PSR headroom to be able to spend this summer, and it's likely they will look to exploit clubs who may be in a similar PSR situation as Newcastle were last year.

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Newcastle will look to exploit clubs struggling with PSR

The Athletic's Chris Waugh was asked in this week's Q&A if Newcastle will be active in the first part of the summer's split transfer window, and he suggested that clubs battling PSR could provide opportunities for Paul Mitchell to strike.

"If a club has some PSR (the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules) issues and Newcastle sense an opportunity to capitalise and snatch a potential (relative) bargain, then they may act. Multiple Bournemouth players are admired, for example — Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Illya Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen, although the latter has a release clause anyway — and, should the south-coast club require sales before June 30, then Newcastle may look to act."

There are bound to be clubs other than Bournemouth who are teetering on the brink, but the Cherries are a good example given Newcastle's love of cherry picking.

Champions League qualification will have an effect on Newcastle's transfer business

Should Newcastle secure a spot in the Champions League, it will, in theory, allow the Magpies to spend more this summer, knowing that they have the Champions League money coming in.

Newcastle are linked with new players almost daily, and there's also plenty who we've looked at in the past when we couldn't really spend, who will come back into focus.

AC Milan's Malick Thiaw is a prime example, as is Marc Guehi, as a link that won't go away. Crystal Palace will be more likely to sell this summer, however, as Guehi enters the last year of his contract.