Image Credits: Imago Images
Newcastle United’s financial problems are once again flaring up ahead of the summer transfer window.
Back in 2024, the Magpies come under Premier League PSR pressure, and that was one of the driving forces behind the surprise sale of academy product Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest.
The deal was widely viewed as a “pure profit” move designed to help plug a PSR hole without weakening the starting XI too drastically.
But it seems that Newcastle is still battling to balance the books. The Times are reporting that the Geordie side are in serious danger of falling foul of UEFA’s financial regulations because they cannot count the profit from selling the leasehold of St James’ Park to a sister company towards those rules.
The club’s latest accounts show a £133.1 million profit from selling the stadium lease and nearby land, a move that still helps them under the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, which continue to permit such related‑party asset sales to be booked as profit.
UEFA, though, applies a much tougher standard. It recently fined Chelsea and Aston Villa, even though both passed the Premier League’s PSR tests, by refusing to treat the sale of their women’s teams to linked companies as genuine income.
And a result, it’s being suggested that Newcastle may have to part ways with key players like Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Anthony Gordon – who has been linked to Liverpool on and off since Newcastle’s initial PSR scare in 2024.
Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson has further fanned the flames by suggesting that to make box-office signings, they may have to sell someone first.
“I wasn’t here for the Isak situation,” he said. “But, to me, Isak was a good sale. Going forward our strategy is to buy well and sell well. Buying well does not necessarily mean spending the most money. It means working in the market place for the players that generate the most value for this club rather than the fee paid for them.”
“We can make a box-office signing but we might not be able to do that without selling somebody,” Hopkinson added. “What I do know is that players that leave this club will need to do so on our terms.”
For Liverpool and Anthony Gordon, all of this feels like deja vu. Liverpool’s interest in the winger only really became serious in 2024 because Newcastle were squeezed by Premier League PSR and needed to explore painful exits rather than purely footballing decisions.
It would not be a surprise if the Reds quietly re‑opened that 2024 file.
Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.