‘Really strange’ – Matt Le Tissier can’t believe what’s been going on at Newcastle
Newcastle have repeatedly been turned down by their top targets this summer and it may be related to the wages the club are offering.
That is according to former England and Southampton star Matt Le Tissier, who told Football Insider exclusively that it was really difficult to understand why the Magpies had been repeatedly turned down this summer.
Eight players have chosen to move elsewhere after Eddie Howe‘s side pursued them this summer, including the likes of Joao Pedro who opted for a move to Chelsea, and Benjamin Sesko who joined Man United.
Newcastle have been able to secure Anthony Elanga, Aaron Ramsdale, and Malick Thiaw, but with uncertainty surrounding the future of Alexander Isak, the Magpies’ squad looks nowhere near ready for the 2025/26 campaign.
That was on show in their opening Premier League game, where despite Aston Villa going down to ten men, Newcastle were unable to score with Anthony Gordon playing as a striker, and they drew 0-0.
Newcastle may be struggling to match Man United, Liverpool wages
This article contains exclusive comment from former Southampton and England striker Matt Le Tissier.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Le Tissier suggested that Newcastle’s transfer woes may be due to the club struggling to match the wages offered by their rivals Liverpool and Man United.
He said: “It’s really strange. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the finances there.
“You don’t know if the wages they’re offering are anywhere near perhaps what the likes of Man United and Liverpool are offering.
“And if that’s the case then there’s obviously the financial fair play that’s got to be considered in all of this.
“It’s really complex and unless you kind of really know the ins and outs of the finances behind the scenes, it’s really difficult to make a good judgment call on what is the reason why these players are turning this club down.”
Kieran Trippier may leave Newcastle for free
As if it hasn’t been bad enough trying to secure players, the Magpies could be set to lose another important figure.
Kieran Trippier is likely to leave Newcastle next summer on a free, rather than this summer when Howe’s side could recoup a fee for their right-back.
With Lewis Hall still recovering from an injury, the former Tottenham man started against Villa and performed well.
However, if wages are an issue, as Le Tissier suggested, getting rid of the aging defender this summer would be a major boost for Newcastle.