If a player hits the market, expect the Magpies to bid for him.
Newcastle United are actively exploring free transfers this summer as part of a strategy to remain compliant with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), according to Chris Waugh of The Athletic.
In a Q&A session on Tuesday, Waugh confirmed that “the free-transfer market is being explored,” noting that Newcastle “always look at potential bargains regardless of their financial situation.”
However, the current PSR constraints have made these deals increasingly crucial across the Premier League landscape.
“Given the benefits of bringing in a player without a transfer fee—even if it is never ‘free’, with wages, signing-on fees and agent commission counting towards PSR — it has become even more important,” Waugh explained.
Among the free agents or low-cost options being monitored are Lille striker Jonathan David and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Waugh noted that both “have featured in transfer discussions over recent seasons,” with Newcastle having even agreed to a deal last summer to send Yankuba Minteh to Everton in exchange for Calvert-Lewin before it collapsed.
David, in particular, “has been watched extensively” by Newcastle scouts and remains a serious candidate, depending on how the summer unfolds.
Waugh also referenced Lloyd Kelly as an example of the kind of financially savvy signing the club views positively. Despite his inconsistent role in the first team,
Waugh wrote that “once his loan to Juventus becomes permanent, Newcastle’s PSR position moving forward will be greatly strengthened,” adding that “further deals of that ilk have been described as ‘no-brainers’ by some club sources.”