‘If we can’ - Eddie Howe suggests Newcastle United could adopt Man City and Chelsea’s £440m FFP strategy

Eddie Howe has hinted at nurturing young talent and flipping them for a profit being part of Newcastle United’s transfer strategy.

FFP/PSR restraints continue to grip the Magpies ahead of the summer window. Despite a crippling injury list, Newcastle were unable to bolster the squad in January, instead keeping their powder dry for the coming months.

Premier League clubs - Tottenham Hotspur aside - barely made a splash last winter. Spending was down a staggering £700million from the previous campaign, with points deductions to Everton and Nottingham Forest further highlighting FFP/PSR struggles.

Toon chiefs must be innovative and adopt cunning ways to combat the financial measures. Manchester City and Chelsea have used their academy to bankroll transfer splurges in recent years.

Pep Guardiola has staggeringly offloaded £440million worth of youth talent since his arrival eight years ago. The most notable departure last summer was Cole Palmer, the £40million sensation who cannot stop scoring at Chelsea.

Ironically, the Blues are also proponents of selling academy prospects to sign ready-made first-team stars. Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ethan Ampadu, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Hall fetched around £100million alone.

Newcastle have already begun stacking their youth ranks since the Saudi-backed takeover. A previously neglected area on Tyneside is now a top priority as the Magpies target a prudent transfer approach.

Howe, when asked about prospect Alex Murphy, suggested developing young players in a key “strategy” for Newcastle ahead of the 4-1 win at Burnley. He said: “If we can sign young players and develop them, I know Alex has come to the club recently on a really good deal, that’s another part of the transfer strategy we need to use.”