Newcastle could entertain selling top player to fund wider rebuild: Report
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Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak might have their Tyneside days numbered.
Newcastle United may find it reasonable to sell one of their key players in the near future to enable a wider squad rebuild and comply with financial regulations, according to journalist Chris Waugh as he replied to a reader asking about that possibility on a recent Q&A posted over at The Athletic.
Addressing fan speculation about a significant departure akin to Aston Villa's sale of Jack Grealish or West Ham's move of Declan Rice, Waugh highlighted Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon as the Magpies' most valuable assets and potential coffer-fillers.
"It does feel borderline inevitable that, at some stage, Newcastle will have to sell one of their stars," Waugh wrote. "Historically, they have been poor sellers and, post-takeover, they have simply not recouped enough from player sales."
This current situation and old perception of NUFC being a "poor seller" obviously stems from the financial legacy of former owner Mike Ashley, whose aging squad offered limited resale value and he never did anything to fix it.
That lack of revenue from sales and steady investment in new players and signings has forced Newcastle into cost-control measures such as selling promising youngsters Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh last summer to stay within the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
"Realistically, Alexander Isak and Gordon are Newcastle's most-saleable assets," Waugh wrote. "Isak's Premier League record and the dearth of top-quality strikers makes him immensely valuable, while Gordon's consistency and end product make him one of the most sought-after wingers in Europe."
While Waugh acknowledged that selling either player would be "unpalatable," he stressed that it might become necessary to fund Newcastle's ambitious contention plans.
Waugh added a cautionary note about the club's future trajectory, however, noting that, "If Newcastle fail to qualify for the Champions League, or even worse no European competition at all for 2025–26, then Isak and/or Gordon may also feel they have outpaced the club's development."
