Newcastle United are facing a ‘difficult’ summer as they battle to keep hold of their star players.
That is according to ex-Premier League manager Sean Dyche as more players look set to leave St. James’ Park ahead of the new season.
Eddie Howe’s side have already lost both Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali so far this summer.
The pair have departed to join Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively.
Meanwhile, Bruno Guimaraes is pushing for a move to Arsenal after agreeing personal terms with the Premier League champions.
Newcastle maintain that the midfielder is not for sale, though, with two years left on his current deal.
Howe woes
Dyche admits that Howe will not be enjoying the club’s current predicament in the transfer market.
Speaking to Shebahn Aherne on World Cup Breakfast, he was asked how much of a nightmare the situation is for the manager.
The former Everton boss explained: “It’s certainly not enjoyable for him, I’m sure of that.
“I think having done so much work to build a group of players who are certainly competitive without a shadow of a doubt and the fan base has gone along with that.
“Great fans sticking behind it and building it with them and the finances, to be fair.
“But when you see these players and it starts coming apart, that’s when it gets really difficult.”
Since taking charge in November 2021, Howe has twice guided Newcastle to Champions League qualification.
He also ended the club’s 70-year wait for a domestic trophy by winning the Carabao Cup in 2025.
However, his side finished outside the European places last season, ending the campaign in 12th.
It represented their lowest finish since he replaced Steve Bruce in the dugout.
Player power
Dyche has also pinpointed the increase in ‘player power’ as Newcastle battle to fend off interest in the likes of Guimaraes from their rivals.
He continued: “The way modern players are, the power they’ve got, I get the idea the club can say no, but if you’re going to say no in the old days, 15, 20 years ago, it’d be ‘look, you’re under contract, there will come your time’ and all that.
“Now it’s almost like ‘ok, so no’, but you have to give them an increased contract. I’m not saying these players are using it for that, but that’s the way it works now.
“If a player does get genuine interest and the club put in an offer, you then have to go to them pretty quick and say, ‘right, we want you to sign a new contract’.
“And if you don’t, you’ve got trouble then because you’ve got a player coming in every day that doesn’t really want to be there.
“I’m not generalising. I’m not using this individual player. I’m just saying, that’s the way the market’s changed.
“The power of the player, the power of the agents has changed significantly, even over the last probably five years. It’s a different ball game now.”
Newcastle transfer business
Newcastle have already had a busy summer in terms of incomings despite missing out on Spain winger Victor Munoz.
Liverpool successfully hijacked their £34million move to sign the 22-year-old from Osasuna earlier in the window.
However, the Magpies have completed three permanent deals, with Sean Steur’s arrival from Ajax on Thursday the latest of those.
The midfielder follows Bazoumana Toure and Ewen Jaouen in moving to Tyneside.
Newcastle are also pursuing a deal for Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi, but are wary of interest in the Switzerland midfielder from Aston Villa.