'There's no doubt' - Man Utd legend explains why Newcastle can ‘explode’ in summer transfer window

Gary Neville believes Newcastle United and other Premier League clubs will revert to lavish spending in the summer.

News bulletins were left empty during the January transfer window as top-flight owners felt the financial pinch. FFP/PSR regulations became a top topic as clubs spent just £100million between them - a decrease from £815million last year.

Everton were also dealt a 10-point deduction - the biggest in the competition’s history - almost three months ago. With the Toffees being slapped with another charge for allegedly breaching regulations, as well as Nottingham Forest, there is a sense that the Premier League are clamping down.

Newcastle are another who have been hamstrung by FFP/PSR legislation. CEO Darren Eales admitted the Magpies may need to offload a player to create “headroom” in the transfer market - despite having owners worth $700billion.

Speaking to Sky Sports, former Manchester United captain Neville admitted he expects Premier League clubs to “explode” in the summer after keeping their powder dry last month. He said: "I would expect the summer to explode again. The TV money is still the same as it was so the cash is still going into the clubs.

“I don't think it's a case of clubs not having the money. It's maybe a case of Covid and the losses catching up with them. Maybe a slightly newer approach, thinking about things in a little bit more of a measured fashion. The main thing might be that FFP seems to be hitting. Manchester United have spent hundreds of millions and they're on the edge of FFP.

“It's not just the likes of Everton and Forest who are near the bottom of the league and trying to catch up. It's the clubs right at the very top who are having to move forward with more caution.

"There's no doubt that Covid is catching up with clubs. The threat of real punishment and the Premier League stamping down on the FFP element. There is a lot of caution. I don't think it's a bad thing. Maybe it's the start of something that means we'll see a bit more sustainability and smartness in this window moving forward.”