Darren Bent can’t believe what he is hearing about the future of one Newcastle United player who may be on his way out this summer.
After what was a long and arduous January transfer window everybody knows by now that Newcastle are massively restricted with what they can spend despite having the richest owners in world football.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent claimed that it is ‘ridiculous’ that it’s even a suggestion that Newcastle may have to sell the likes of Alexander Isak to raise funds to reinvest in other areas of the pitch.
Bent frustrated with Newcastle’s financial restrictions
Obviously the club will be doing everything they can to keep Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman at the club, but it’s still a real possibility should Newcastle be limited once again in the summer.
They will be grateful that they now have Champions League and Adidas money coming in to help them out, though it feels like they shouldn’t even have to depend on this to progress.
When you look at the biggest and most established clubs in the Premier Leagues, the likes of Man United, Chelsea and Man City, it would be ridiculous to suggest that any of them have to sell someone just so they can reinvest.
As we’ve seen with Chelsea in the last 18 months they can openly spend over £1bn very quickly without needing to offload someone else, while Newcastle couldn’t afford the loan fee for Kalvin Phillips in January.
Bent is really struggling to understand how teams like Newcastle are ever meant to compete with those at the top under these restrictions.
On the show, Bent said: “It’s going to be difficult. They’ve got all the wealth in the world but when they can’t spend it and when they’re talking about having to sell their best players, you almost feel how are they ever going to move forwards?
“If they’re having to sell Isak to bring someone else in they’re not going to be as good as Isak.
“it’s going to be difficult but what they’ve got to do is just keep doing what Eddie Howe has been doing. He did a fantastic job last season.
“It’s ridiculous. How can you have that much money and you’ve got to be selling some of your better players?”
Newcastle are exploring other options to raise funds
Given the fact that top quality strikers are so difficult come by these days Newcastle absolutely need to keep hold of Isak for as long as they can if they have any hopes of being successful.
As Bent rightly points out, anyone who Newcastle replace him with is only going to be worse, so it’s a case of finding another way around these financial barriers.
Two players who could potential be viewed as sellable assets is Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron with both players in their 30s and losing value to Newcastle by the day.
Wilson has already been rumoured to be offloaded given the fact he will have just one year on his deal while Almiron was wanted by Saudi clubs in January and they could yet return in the summer.
It won’t be as much as selling Isak or Bruno would get you, but Newcastle simply have to find other options to move on if they ever want to be an elite club.
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