Eddie Howe has admitted that Everton's issues have served as a reminder why Newcastle United have had to 'fall in line' with Financial Fair Play rules ahead of facing the Toffees on Thursday night.
The Premier League have referred Everton to an independent commission over an alleged breach of the top-flight's profit and sustainability rules last season. Everton's accounts for the campaign in question reported a loss of £44.7million and the club recorded a £305.9m deficit between 2020 and 2022, which is nearly triple the £105m permitted over a three-year period under Premier League regulations.
Everton have attributed a fair chunk of those losses to the impact of the pandemic, but there can be no doubt that the club are also paying the price for years of poor recruitment. Indeed, Sean Dyche is the latest in a line of hamstrung bosses who have had to cut their cloth accordingly.
READ MORE: Everything Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe said on Everton, injuries and Gordon's Goodison return
Everton strongly contest the allegation and the club have vowed to 'robustly defend' their position after being the latest top-flight outfit to be investigated after Man City were charged by the Premier League with more than 100 breaches of its financial rules earlier this year. While Newcastle have spent more than £250m on new signings since the takeover, the Magpies have not gone as big as outsiders initially expected because of FFP and the scrutiny surrounding Everton's finances is the latest reminder why.
"Yeah, I think so," Howe told reporters. "Again it's difficult to comment on other teams and what's happened at other clubs.
"Financial Fair Play has been there for us since I've been at this football club and it will continue to be. Certainly it's forcing clubs to act in a certain way. They are the rules so we have to fall in line."
Newcastle will face relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow as Howe's team bid to strengthen their grip on a place in the top four after putting Spurs to the sword in a 6-1 rout at St James' Park last time out. Newcastle are currently six points clear of Spurs with a game in hand and a superior goal difference to boot, and another victory on Merseyside would take Howe's side a step closer to the Champions League with just six further games to go.
Returning to Europe's top table would certainly be a game-changer from a FFP perspective. Not only would Newcastle's revenues be boosted by qualification fees, prize money and further gate receipts - the Magpies would also be able to justify lucrative sponsorship deals are of fair market value more easily.
However, regardless of which European competition Newcastle are playing in next season, Howe reiterated on Wednesday that there 'won't be an overhaul of the squad'. Instead, Newcastle will be 'very selective with what we do' and that includes targeting emerging talent.
"There's a desire from the club to sign young players with huge potential for the future and maybe use the loan market," he said. "With Financial Fair Play, it's very difficult for us to continually sign ready-made players who can go straight into the Premier League. They come at a huge cost.
"To be smart and invest in young players is definitely an avenue for us, but then the quality of recruitment has to be right, so it's a big challenge."
One young player Newcastle signed in January, of course, was Anthony Gordon, who will return to Goodison Park on Thursday night for the first time since leaving his boyhood club. It goes without saying that Gordon will already be well-aware of the hostile reception that awaits him at his old stomping ground.
Everton fans previously surrounded Gordon's car and told the Scouser he was 'not fit to wear the shirt' - and that was weeks before Newcastle made their mid-season move. Gordon is in a 'good place' and 'looking forward to the game', but Howe acknowledged that he had to be mindful of how the febrile atmosphere could affect his team as a whole.
"Yes, definitely, but I don't necessarily know what I can do about that to change it if that makes sense," he added. "You don't want to have or do anything that impacts the team, which is the most important thing.
"This is something surrounding the game, but is not influencing the game in terms of tactical preparation. There is nothing I can do to change that. It's something we need to be mindful of, but I'm not too sure other than concentrating on how we play and what we can do."
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