Newcastle stars were reportedly enraged when CEO Darren Eales said earlier this year that any player could be sold for the right price. Speaking in January when the Magpies were attempting to ease profit and sustainability fears, Eales admitted that the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak or Bruno Guimaraes could depart if suitable offers were made.
The comments are said to have ‘p***** off’ senior members of the dressing room who had cultivated a positive atmosphere. It is claimed that the mood has not been the same since.
Eales was partly attempting to ease expectations from outside, admitting that some players would need to be trimmed from the squad to ensure Newcastle complied with the Premier League’s tight financial restrictions.
He had been asked whether, under PSR, every player had their price. His simple answer was: “Yes.”
According to the Daily Mail, senior players were left ‘hurt’ by the comments. A subsequent lack of investment has frustrated sections of the fanbase.
Ultimately, Gordon, Isak, Guimaraes and the now-injured Sven Botman will end 2024 as Newcastle players. But there has not been a similar level of investment in the first-team that fans saw at the start of the PIF-funded regime.
Gordon and Isak, in particular, were linked with summer transfers. Neither departed as Newcastle were able to comply with PSR regulations due to the departures of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh.
However, speculation continues to mount that Gordon could return to Merseyside and join Liverpool. This week, the 23-year-old admitted that persistent reports over his future had affected his performances and he urged journalists to let him concentrate on playing football.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the forward said: “I’ve had a lot this year about my future, where I’m going, where I want to go – without anyone actually asking me.”
“It’s all a bit… Just leave me to play football! I just want to be happy [and] play football. I love being here, I’ve said it plenty of times. With the speculation, people assume that it’s all correct, when you’ve not heard from me once that I’m unhappy at this place.
“I love everyone here, I love playing football here. That was all that was. It has [frustrated me]. It has taken me away from enjoying my football. That’s where the inconsistency has come from because I’ve got caught in [the speculation] a little bit.”
