Eddie Howe has been discussing Callum Wilson's future on Tyneside and the complications Newcastle could face should the striker be sold.
Wilson is fit again after recovering from pectoral surgery and could make the bench at Crystal Palace tomorrow, but his future at the club is uncertain now he's approaching the final 12 months of his contract.
This feels like our last chance to secure a fee for the 32-year-old. However, Howe has warned that it will "cost the club a lot of money" to replace him with a proven striker to compete with Alexander Isak, revealing that this is a "big talking point" behind the scenes whenever we consider a potential sale.
“It’s undoubted how I feel about Callum." Howe said. "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.”
With 46 goals in 104 appearances for the club, he is a proven goalscorer, yet his age, contract situation and injury woes must also be considered.
The Telegraph report that he's received interest from Saudi Arabia and Europe. I'm sure there's also plenty Premier League sides who'd be keen, but a lot may depend on the fee we'd receive and the cost of a potential replacement, with PSR a constant consideration as we look to improve the squad this summer.
Asked if Wilson had a point to prove over the final weeks of the season, Howe added -“I think every player has a point to prove every time they pull the Newcastle shirt on. 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.”
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