£50m Newcastle target would demand to start right away

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Such is the need to constantly improve at the top level, Newcastle United could be victims of their own success.

While Eddie Howe’s squad undoubtedly needs strengthening, there’s only a small pool of players who could realistically come in and make an instant difference in a first-team who performed so well.

When you throw in FFP concerns and rival interest from other top clubs, that pool drains even shallower.

Take Marc Guehi for example.

The Crystal Palace defender – hailed as an “absolute tank” by former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik in 2021 – has been linked with a move to Newcastle.

Still, Palace are reportedly ready to demand as much as £50m for the England international amid rival interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Price aside, there could be another issue.

Marc Guehi would expect first-team football wherever he goes next season

According to the Evening Standard, the 23-year-old would want first-team football wherever he goes next season.

Having broken his way into Gareth Southgate’s England set-up, Guehi presumably wants to ensure he’s playing regularly ahead of the European Championships next summer.

Chelsea have reportedly expressed their interest in the defender they let depart two summers ago, although Palace are ready to stand firm in their valuation amid further interest from Arsenal and Spurs.

Expensive player for Newcastle in an area they’re not weak in

It’s not to say that Newcastle couldn’t do with another defender ahead of an increased schedule next season but paying £50m for a player not guaranteed to start would seem unwise given the FFP situation.

Guehi is a right-footed centre-back so would surely come to battle Fabian Schar for a starting berth.

Long-term, the Palace star may overtake the Swiss international but Newcastle’s backline was statistically the joint-best in the Premier League last season in terms of goals conceded (33) so spending such big money at this point might be the wrong use of what appear to be fairly limited funds.