Newcastle United are set to be under pressure to qualify for the Champions League after a quiet transfer window.
After selling Lloyd Kelly to Juventus and Miguel Almiron to Atlanta, head coach Eddie Howe must now take a depleted squad back to Europe’s premier competition.
By no means were Kelly and Almiron difference makers this season, but they gave Newcastle United some much-needed depth throughout the squad.
Newcastle are set to make around £30m from the deals, which boosts their hopes of getting ahead of PSR when the next deadline comes in the summer.
Despite the sudden influx of money, Newcastle does not have a limitless summer budget and will still need to spend wisely. If they qualify for Europe again, they will reap its rich financial benefits.
Sporting director Paul Mitchell is set to have £100m to spend in the summer, and three key targets have already been identified.
With the pressure now on Howe to deliver the goods at the end of the season, key figures at the club have made their feelings known about their chances of returning to the Champions League.
Newcastle bosses make Champions League prediction
Newcastle fans want Howe to replicate their stunning 2022/23 season where the club returned to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
The Magpies could have played European football this season after finishing seventh in the Premier League but were stripped of the chance after Manchester United won the FA Cup.
Newcastle are sat sixth in the league, which will not be enough for the Champions League if they stay there at the end of the season, but the feeling is fifth should be enough with the UEFA Coefficient rankings.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 24 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 47 | 31 | 16 | 43 |
| 5 |  Man CityManchester City | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 48 | 35 | 13 | 41 |
| 6 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 41 |
| 7 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 41 | 28 | 13 | 40 |
According to Chris Waugh of The Athletic, the stated goal from Darren Eales and Mitchell is European qualification, which has been accepted by Howe.
Newcastle will qualify for the Europa League if they win the Carabao Cup, but Waugh claims that everyone inside the club would prefer Champions League football.
Key figures inside the club believe Newcastle have a good enough head coach and enough quality within the team to achieve a top-five finish, but they will need to be consistent to make it happen.
Is Eddie Howe under pressure at Newcastle
At the beginning of the season, there was speculation over whether Howe would be Newcastle’s manager for the campaign.
Howe was linked with the England job but stressed repeatedly that he was focused on Newcastle. In the end, Thomas Tuchel was appointed and watched Newcastle against Tottenham in January. There could be several players included in Tuchel’s first England squad in March.
It is clear now that Europe is a huge priority for Newcastle because of the financial benefits it gives the club and Howe understands what he needs to do to achieve that.
The transfer window means that Howe is on the back foot for the rest of the season due to the smaller squad, so qualifying for Europe could now be a mammoth task.
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