Newcastle United stung by £45m PSR blow as Eddie Howe confirms worrying news

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Newcastle United’s transfer plans for the January window have just suffered another blow.

The promising news delivered to Newcastle United on Tuesday morning was that the club have successfully avoided breaching the Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Newcastle were at risk of a points deduction in the summer before Eddie Howe was forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to keep the Magpies just above the red line.

Newcastle will receive a £73m PSR boost in the summer when the financial losses from the 2021/22 season drop out of the equation, but as things stand Howe expects a quiet January window.

Reports claim Newcastle must sell before they can buy this month. Any major incomings will need to be answered by a sale before the PSR deadline on June 30th. The chances of raising any significant money through sales have just taken a significant blow.

Harvey Barnes injury inflicts £45m PSR blow

One avenue Newcastle were exploring this month was the sale of Harvey Barnes to help raise cash for new signings.

It was claimed late last year that Newcastle would consider offers for Barnes after he struggled to make his way into Howe’s starting XI.

Newcastle set a £45m asking price for Barnes this month knowing that a sale would help to ease the club’s PSR worries.

However, after a disappointing 45 minutes against Bromley in the FA Cup, Barnes was taken off at half-time by Eddie Howe.

After the match, Howe confirmed Barnes will be out for a month, which effectively rules out any possibility of him being sold in January.

Harvey Barnes is ‘frustrated’ at Newcastle United

Howe has played down speculation around Barnes‘ future at Newcastle this week, describing him as a “vital player”.

But if Newcastle want to keep hold of their biggest stars such as Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, the harsh reality is that Barnes is the most lucrative asset the Magpies can afford to sell.

READ MORE: Worried Eddie Howe as Newcastle United hope three key players don’t have ‘major’ injuries after Harvey Barnes

Reports claim Barnes is “frustrated” at Newcastle due to his lack of playing time. He has made 25 appearances this season, but most of those are late cameos coming off the bench.

Newcastle chiefs now have a difficult decision to make over Barnes in the summer. Howe will no doubt want to keep him, but he is a ‘get out of jail free card’ in PSR terms.