Alan Shearer believes Newcastle United will struggle to carry onto players like Sandro Tonali in the event that they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Tonali’s future within the north east got here into doubt on transfer deadline day after it emerged he had been offered to Arsenal after the Gunners lost Mikel Merino to injury.
Arsenal explored the move with talks going down in the ultimate hours of the January window. Newcastle nonetheless swiftly knocked back the audacious approach, adamant one in all their key players wouldn’t leave the club midway through the campaign.
Eddie Howe echoed those sentiments this week, insisting the Italy international ‘loves representing the town’, dismissing suggestions January interest could unsettle the player heading into the summer.
Newcastle are hopeful of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League with a play-off tie against Qarabag to navigate first.
Their participation in next season’s competition is less certain, with the Magpies currently sat in 11th place.
While fifth is prone to be adequate for Champions League qualification again, Newcastle are currently seven points adrift of that spot.
Get your football fix
Don’t desire to miss the week’s biggest football stories? Metro’s exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.
From the newest transfer rumours and managerial moves to evaluation of the largest games and loads more, our experts have you ever covered.
Enroll here, it’s an open goal.
Premier League legend Shearer fears his old side will find themselves in a really tricky situation in the summertime if there is no such thing as a European football on offer for his or her most coveted players.
‘Sandro Tonali hasn’t hit the heights he was eventually season, but I assume what’ll occur is, if Newcastle aren’t going to qualify for Europe or be competitive within the Premier League, you’d expect other clubs will have a look at Newcastle and take a look at to purchase their best players,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘Even though it was a surprise within the January window, I feel it’ll occur more in the summertime if Newcastle don’t achieve what they’ve prior to now few years.
‘Top players need to play Champions League football, and we all know there’s no real loyalty in football – I’m not saying Tonali will do anything like that, but we all know if clubs don’t get into European places, other clubs will try to pick players up.
‘Newcastle have to begin winning games and go far within the FA Cup and hopefully the Champions League to try to rescue what, on the minute, definitely Premier League sensible, has been a disappointing return.
‘I do know we got to a semi-final and all those years ago we’d craved for that but then the cash that’s been spent and put into the club and where the club desires to go to, on the minute it’s been disappointing.’
MORE: Julian Alvarez transfer alternative revealed with Chelsea and Arsenal ‘able to break the bank’
MORE: What Noni Madueke told Cole Palmer after Arsenal beat Chelsea within the Carabao Cup
MORE: Why Man Utd ought to be apprehensive about £42m star with mystery injury problems explained