Profit and Sustainability Rules have become the opponent Newcastle United have not been able to outplay in recent years.
The Premier League regulations, which prevent clubs from losing more than £105m [$142m] across three years, have already dictated transfer business on Tyneside, and Bruno Guimaraes has now spoken openly about the challenge they pose for Eddie Howe’s side.
“I think that, to be very honest, the matter of the financial fair play [PSR], after it was created, with Newcastle with new owners, got in the way of a lot of things here,” Guimaraes told ESPN.
“We had situations where we had to sell players when we didn’t even want to,”
The evidence is clear. Elliot Anderson, a homegrown product valued by supporters, was sold to Nottingham Forest for £35m [$47m], while teenager Yankubah Minteh, who never made a senior appearance, left for Brighton in a £30m [$40m] deal.
“I think that this season we managed to balance the financial fair play well,” Guimarães continued.
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“We can spend, we can hold onto players, we can do what the management sees fit, I say we but I can’t do anything.”
Newcastle United midfielder says mentality has changed
The midfielder knows the other side of this story as well because he lived through it.
Signed from Lyon in 2022 for reported £35m [$47m] with £6.6m [$9m] in add-ons, part of which went to Athletico Paranaense, Guimaraes walked into a squad staring at relegation.
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“When I arrived here, we were fighting not to get relegated,”
“And now we’re playing another Champions League, after winning a title after 70 years.”
Newcastle ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought last year by beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, and the midfielder believes that triumph was only the beginning of their rise
“I think we’re on a great path, to be very honest with you, things have turned out better than I expected.
This season we are coming to try to consolidate, to try to win titles again, to seek a place in the Champions League again, to have a decent Champions League and do well.”
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