You could make the case that Paris Saint-Germain next week is shaping up to be the most lucrative match in Newcastle United’s recent history.
It might not sound particularly romantic given they could make sporting history by booking their place in the last-16 of the Champions League for the first time but the bottom line increasingly matters at St James’ Park. To put it bluntly the reason it remains, in the balance that Newcastle add to their squad in the next fortnight – despite the obvious and pressing need to reinforce an injury ravaged squad – is those numbers.
They have investigated deals and spoken to clubs and agents this month. Just last week there were conversations about Joaquin Seys, Club Brugge’s highly-rated defender. But insiders say that with two financial fair play deadlines looming large – the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) date and Uefa’s squad cost target – there’s more than a 50-50 chance that Newcastle stick rather than twist when it comes to recruitment in January.
Frustrating? Undoubtedly. But also another thudding reminder that if the Magpies are to progress as a club, this is the competition they need to be playing in, year in, year out.
Here’s a few figures to consider: Newcastle made a cool £1.8m for beating PSV Eindhoven last night. But they will make £18.7m in one night if they can emerge from the back yard of Europe’s best team on Wednesday with a result that guarantees a top eight place and a fast-track into the knock-out stages.
That is not pocket money for Newcastle. Already this run has banked £25.5m for the club which, after you deduct not-inconsiderable bonuses for the players, will all go almost directly into the summer transfer kitty, when 3 or 4 important signings are anticipated. For a club still in the base camp of their journey to elite, it matters.
Joaquin Seys is being targeted (Photo: Getty)And top eight? That would feel doubly significant – partly because of the calibre of opposition they would have had to overcome to get there.
“[Paris Saint-Germain] have won everything so they are the best team in the world,” Yoane Wissa said after his best performance in black and white.
Yet Newcastle – ironically considering their sketchy performances in the Premier League – might actually have a chance in the Parc des Princes next week. In a difficult season one theme feels consistent: the effortlessness of their efforts in Europe.
They now have four wins, one draw and two defeats in the Champions League, a marked improvement on their results last time out. Granted that was in a group of death that contained Borussia Dortmund, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain but their performances this time out have showcased progression on Eddie Howe’s watch. They had control last night and have had a happy knack of making wins against decent opposition look routine.
A lot of the work that went into this season was with that in mind. Managing the squad, dialling down the reliance on full-throttle intensity – these are experiments that haven’t always worked this term but have been a means to an end. If they win in Paris next week, there will be vindication of sorts.
“We have the quality to win there, we showed that against PSV Eindhoven,” Wissa says.
“We need to show some character and we need to play football, because if you give the ball away often it’s going to be difficult. What we did on Wednesday is really important – we played good football against a good team.”
Wissa was one of those who offered a riposte to his critics. The narrative that Newcastle wasted that Alexander Isak bounty has gained traction among certain sections of the fanbase recently but Wissa looked sharper against PSV. He will never be Isak, but his injury was a serious one. He is still playing catch up but his third goal in black and white was also his first ever in the Champions League.
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“There’s more to come from me, for sure, because I’m not 100 per cent,” he said.
“I’m close to it and I’m working hard to help the team. Wednesday night was important because I showed the manager I can play and in a good place. Not the best place, but it’s coming.”
That hope will carry them in Paris.
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