Newcastle consider selling Callum Wilson this summer to ease PSR concerns, admits Eddie Howe
Newcastle United have a difficult decision to make on Callum Wilson with manager Eddie Howe refusing to rule out the possibility he could be sold this summer.
In an ideal world, Howe would love to keep the England international, but as he returns from his latest injury to face Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, there is an acknowledgement the 32-year-old’s future is uncertain.
Wilson will only have one year left on his contract in the summer and it is thought he is attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, as well as Europe, and this is the last opportunity Newcastle will have to bring decent money in for him.
The problem is, it will be expensive to replace Wilson, who is a reliable source of goals in the Premier League with 46 in 104 appearances since arriving from Bournemouth for £20 million in the summer of 2020.
Wilson, though, is injury prone and misses months, rather than just weeks of a season, meaning Newcastle cannot rely on him to be available as back up to Alexander Isak.
“It’s undoubted how I feel about Callum,” said Howe, who signed him from Coventry City when he was Bournemouth manager. “How I feel about his qualities and what he can offer the team.
“If you lose a player of that quality, to then find a player of equal standard will cost the club a lot of money.
“That’s always the big talking point about any business we do in the summer. If you lose a player, how can you replace him with the same quality with Financial Fair Play implications around the corner? There’s a lot to think about.”
Asked if Wilson had a point to prove between now and the end of the season in terms of his future at the club, Howe’s reply was telling.
“I think every player has a point to prove every time they pull the Newcastle shirt on,” he replied. “I don’t think Callum Wilson necessarily has a point to prove in terms of his ability and what he can deliver, that’s undoubted.
“We would like him to stay fit for a prolonged period of time and to be able to execute that on a consistent basis. So, there is sort of a double edged meaning to my answer.
“I want every player to have that burning desire every single game to fulfil their own ambitions and certainly Callum has very big ambitions still. He’s still a very strong player and he can make a big difference for us.”
Wilson has been sidelined since February with a pectoral muscle injury and has also been sidelined with calf and hamstring problems this season. The fact he has only played 104 games in almost four years illustrates this is not an isolated issue.
Wilson is also no longer first choice with Isak thriving again this season in his absence.
Howe added: “I think there would have been, of course, a big element of frustration for him because he just wants to showcase his talents and what he can do for the team.
“I know there’s a lot of respect between the two players and I know Callum would have been pleased with how Alex has performed for the team and helped the team when he’s not been available.
“But Callum will back himself, I’ve got no doubt about that. He will think that when he comes back, he can add a different dimension.
“He can play with Alex as well, I’ve always said that, and the two of them together make us a lot stronger when they’re both fit, so we’re delighted to have Callum back and already in training, he has shown what we’ve been missing since he’s been injured.”
