Newcastle ‘looking for a new starting eleven’ after being left reeling by rules

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is looking to overhaul his struggling squad this summer but will struggle to do so due to financial restraints.

Howe's position has been plunged into uncertainty over the last few months after Newcastle's struggles last season.

He was only able to guide the Magpies to a 13th-placed finish in the Premier League as they reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals and the Champions League round of 16.

Several top stars have been linked away from St James' Park this summer, with Anthony Gordon having already left to join Barcelona.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Howe needs to make major changes to his squad this summer, but could be left short by the end of the window.

Financial rules have affected their spending for several seasons, and are set to force them to sell more important players in the coming months.

Eddie Howe needs squad overhaul as Newcastle's project falters

Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are among the Magpies stars linked with moves away this summer.

Their lack of European football will make attracting top-level players tough this summer, even though there are question marks beside so many of Howe's stars as it stands.

“I wrote down the Newcastle team. There wasn't one player in the team where there weren't any questions over them," Brown exclusively told Football Insider.

“Right-back…well the captain's gone. Livramento has injury problems, but there’s talk about him moving. Dan Burn is 34  now…Botman's been injured. Don't know what the situation is with him.

“Harvey Barnes, the left winger, comes in the side, does well. Goes out the side and there’s talk about him and moving.

“Woltemade…they're not happy with him. He he's not come good. They're a bit pointy with the lad they took from Brentford (Wissa). “We have worked our way through the team, and you can see that they'd be looking for a new team. 

“Now this is a team that was built by the richest owners in the world. It comes down to these constraints again, they have done Newcastle no favours. 

“It almost seems like they need an entirely new starting eleven. He's got a job on his hands there, the manager, because he’s got to rebuild. It's not a question of adding a bit. 

“He's another one, Joelinton…in the second half of the season, he was injured. Every position in the team is questionable. When you've got that, you've got major problems.”

Is Howe under pressure at Newcastle?

PIF have backed Howe to take the club into the summer window, but they have already missed out on a top target after Victor Munoz chose to join Liverpool.

The 48-year-old still has credit in the bank after some successful seasons at the helm on Tyneside, but their patience could be set to run out soon.

Sources have told Football Insider that Howe could be sacked at the start of next season if Newcastle begin on the back foot.

He needs the summer window to go his way on several fronts to stop that happening, especially as key players are linked away.