Newcastle vs Aston Villa: Eddie Howe out to ‘upset the status quo’
Head coach Eddie Howe believes Newcastle United Despite the constraints of financial rules, he can still achieve “great things” as his team intends to disrupt the Premier League’s status quo.
Clubs that spend the most on salaries traditionally collect the most points per match.
But both Newcastle and Sunday’s rivals Aston Villa have bucked that trend in recent years with the eighth and sixth biggest wage bills respectively in the top flight.
Newcastle qualified for the Champions League in 2023 and 2025, while Aston Villa followed suit in 2024.
Both are looking to do it again this season and Howe’s men could move into fourth place with a victory over third-placed Villa if results go their way elsewhere.
“People much smarter than me will say the wage bill is appropriate for the situation in the league, but I don’t think so,” the Newcastle boss said.
“We have to think outside the box and find ways to win games to disrupt the status quo and finish as high as possible.
“That will always be my belief and it has been my belief since day one in management. Football is played on the field, not for money.”
It’s worth noting that Newcastle’s net spend on new signings last summer was more than £100 million, but they sold star striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a British transfer record fee of £125 million.
Targets such as Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro, James Trafford and Benjamin Sesko also opted to join Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United respectively rather than move to St James’ Park.
While Newcastle is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), former clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham have the ability to spend more within the rules due to their superior revenue streams.
Analysis by financial firm Deloitte found Liverpool earned £367 million more than Newcastle last season, and Howe recognizes his side have a “long way to go” in that regard.
“I know people are tired of us talking about this, but it’s real,” he added. “Increasing our revenues will be crucial and I know there is a lot of work behind the scenes to do this.
“I’ve always believed that whatever the situation you’re in, you should try to outperform your resources. You should try to achieve more success. You should use every ounce of energy and effort from the squad you have.
“We believe that no matter what financial constraints are placed on us, we can still achieve great things.”
General squad costs in the 2026-27 league season will be limited to 85% of the club’s income, while teams competing in Europe will have to comply with UEFA’s maximum of 70%.
