Kieran Maguire: Newcastle United ‘leaking stories’ amid £75m transfer claim
Newcastle United will be ‘leaking stories’ about their transfer budget to dampen expectations around their spending power.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively told Football Insider that Newcastle are now facing a ‘tax’ from selling clubs in the transfer window.
The Daily Mail reported in June that the Magpies would only have a £75million transfer budget heading into the 2023 summer window.
However, the Tyneside club have already begun spending with £55million spent bringing in AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, and £5.8million spent on Gambian teenager Yankuba Minteh.
The North East club are preparing for their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2002/03, and the spending looks set to continue at St James’ Park.
Maguire believes Newcastle may have purposely leaked a lower transfer budget to avoid being overcharged for transfers following their Saudi Arabian-backed takeover.
“For clubs such as Newcastle and Manchester United, they’re fully aware that there is a perceived tax when they are the buyers,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“Therefore, leaking stories to friendly parties is a way to dampen down expectations.
“First of all, in terms of fans.
“Secondly, in terms of agents and their players, and thirdly, in terms of selling clubs.
“I take it with a pinch of salt that there is a strict budget because when it comes to player trading, the keyword there is trading and you’ve got to look at the people who are leaving the club as well as those coming in.
“A £75million budget on an average of five-year contracts works out at amortisation fees of just £15million.
“That is going to be more than covered by Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League.
“And that’s before you take into account the new front-of-shirt and sleeve sponsor deals coming in.
“So it’s important to be cautious about social media and the viper’s nest of rumours.“
In other news, Kieran Maguire makes ‘huge’ £149m Newcastle United claim after Sandro Tonali deal agreed