Eddie Howe warns of short-term pain for Newcastle in bid for consistency

Eddie Howe has warned there could be more short-term pain as Newcastle attempt to establish themselves as a consistent force in both the Premier League and Europe.

The Magpies will head into Saturday’s clash with head coach Howe’s former club Bournemouth sitting fourth in the table after a run of nine successive victories in all competitions and threatening to repeat their charge into the Champions League places two seasons ago.

They do so still attempting to tiptoe through the profitability and sustainability minefield which has prevented their Saudi-backed owners from flexing their financial muscle as fully as they would like, a situation which could see wide-man Miguel Almiron return to the MLS this month as they negotiate spending restrictions which forced them to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh this summer.

Asked about the situation, Howe, who insisted the Paraguay international would be in his squad to face the Cherries, said: “No-one wants to lose any players from our current squad, especially in positions where we are a little bit fragile. Why would we want to leave ourselves in that position?

“But when you’re armed with all the facts, sometimes you have to take that short-term pain.”

Should 30-year-old Almiron eventually go, there is no guarantee he would be replaced during the current window with his current club having not made a major signing since Tino Livramento’s £32 million arrival from Southampton in August 2023.

However, asked if keeping his powder dry this month would allow for a different summer, Howe said: “I don’t know if this summer will be different and suddenly the outlook totally changes. I think that’s for another day. What I would say is that hopefully the future beyond looks very