Newcastle Boss Howe Hopes To Keep Star Players, Says European Qualification Would Help

Record signing Alexander Isak바카라�s blistering run of goalscoring form has this week seen him linked with North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham, while Paris St Germain have repeatedly been touted as suitors for Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The Magpies바카라� hopes of securing a second successive season of Champions League football have been all but mathematically dashed during a campaign which has been littered with long-term injuries, but head coach Howe hopes the direction being taken by the club바카라�s Saudi-backed owners will be enough to persuade his star men to stay with the project.

Asked if European qualification would help that process, he said: 바카라�It will help, but I don바카라�t think it will be the defining factor. That바카라�s in the players바카라� hands and the club바카라�s hands. Europe would certainly help.

바카라�A lot will depend on our ambitions and where the club is going to go in the foreseeable future. I don바카라�t think one season necessarily dictates that, it바카라�s the general feeling of where the club is going to go.

바카라�We as a football club need to continue to push forward. You set your ambitions not just in terms of talking, but in actions, so we need to show to them that we are a club moving forward.바카라�

Isak, who cost Newcastle £63million when he joined from Real Sociedad in 2022, will head for Fulham on Saturday with 19 goals to his name, while Guimaraes has established himself as a fans바카라� favourite at St James바카라� Park since his £35million capture from Lyon in January of the same year.

Both have become key figures in Howe바카라�s strongest team, and the 46-year-old has little intention of letting either leave this summer despite the perception from outside the club that he may need to sell to comply with profit and sustainability rules.

Asked if he feared a transfer window of fending off approaches, he said: 바카라�I don바카라�t fear that. In some senses, that바카라�s what you want because it means your players are playing at a level that everyone appreciates and I want my players 바카라� all of them 바카라� to be playing above what they think they바카라�re capable of being.

바카라�So no, I don바카라�t think fear is the right word. I want Alex to keep scoring goals, I want him to keep being in the headlines 바카라� I바카라�m sure he wants the same thing 바카라� but we want to keep him long-term.바카라�

On Guimaraes, he added: 바카라�Let me tell you, players like Bruno, they are not around every corner. They are very rare. Bruno should be appreciated for everything he brings. My intention would be to keep Bruno at the club for as long as we possibly can.

바카라�I can never make guarantees though. That would be absolutely foolish of me. We have been in football long enough to know you don바카라�t know what is going to happen tomorrow.