Marry Gordon, shag Bruno, avoid Tonali? Newcastle must seize control of Howe’s make-or-break summer | OneFootball

Who could blame the Toon Army for wishing away a sorry season after a humbling week? But there is little respite on the horizon for Newcastle United; the summer just brings a different set of problems, some of them all too familiar.

For as long as it remains possible that half the Premier League could qualify for European football of some sort, Newcastle could be back on the continent next season. But sneaking into the Conference League will appease none of the star names who now perceive the Champions League to be their natural habitat.

That’s just one of the reasons why there could be a race for the St James’ Park exit as soon as they fly back from Fulham on May 24.

The ex-Everton flier’s heart remained on Merseyside when he left Goodison under a cloud in 2023. It is hard to shake the suspicion that it was always the Liverpool fan’s plan to put a black-and-white buffer between playing for the Toffees and the Reds.

The Toon Army aren’t daft; they have remained somewhat wary of Gordon, who has never enjoyed the reverence of some of his team-mates. That extends to Tonali, who has been even less subtle over his desire to move on.

It needs no reading between any lines to suss that Tonali wants to go. His agent tried to shift his client in January but that failure has not deterred him from trying to generate a market for the Italy midfielder before the summer.

The feeling is that Tonali would prefer a return to Italy, but neither Juventus nor any other club in Serie A could afford what Newcastle would want and the wages others could offer. Turning 26 soon, there’s a big contract somewhere for Tonali before he goes home and no shortage of admirers among Premier League managers.

Losing Tonali would sting the Toon Army, who not only stuck by the midfielder through his ban for betting offences, but helped carry him through it. That isn’t to say he owes Newcastle unlimited loyalty, but his keenness to fly the Magpies’ nest must stick in the craw somewhat.

But there has to be a realism that one midfielder will go. And with Lewis Miley coming through, maybe that’s palatable. If it is a choice between losing Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes, the Italian would find a queue of Toon taxis waiting to drive him to his next destination and a longer line of Geordies happy to tuck Bruno into bed.

Despite plenty of paper talk that Guimaraes might have at least one eye on the exit too, Newcastle and their fans appear far more intent on digging their heels in over the skipper. And not just so that – in a repeat of the Alexander Isak saga – they get a fee they feel is worthy of waving him off.

It must be remembered that Newcastle hold the cards in at least two of the three scenarios. Gordon and Tonali are both signed up until at least 2029, even if that won’t shield Newcastle from either of the pair acting the arse if it looks like their wishes will go unfulfilled this summer. But with Gordon and Tonali particularly, they would negotiate with any interested party from a position of strength. The Isak saga shows they won’t be pushed around.

Worryingly, since he is the player they can least afford to lose and the one likely to attract most interest, they hold less authority in the Guimaraes situation. And the captain appears in no rush to talk terms over an extension.

Indeed, his agent is reportedly too busy talking to other clubs. Manchester United are said to have agreed personal terms with the Brazil star, who looks keen to use the World Cup as a shop window if Newcastle refuse to sell before.

It could all be part of the contract dance, but Newcastle appear to have reached the perilous point of relying more on their emotional hold over Guimaraes than the platform they can offer the skipper in the short to medium term.

The Brazilian has embraced the north east in a way any player moving up there should, but pulling on those heart strings almost certainly won’t be enough to keep a player now peaking and deserving of the biggest stages that Newcastle look unlikely to provide any time soon.

From a business perspective, Bruno is the obvious sale. Most likely, this is the last opportunity for Newcastle to get a really big fee for the 28-year-old and, given his service, he could reasonably hope for a fond farewell.

But football fans aren’t always a reasonable sort. Not that any misplaced ire would deter any of the trio from pursuing their personal ambitions.

You can understand the Toon Army’s frustration. They are a genuinely massive club. A religion in their region, the good word spreading beyond the north east since the Saudis rocked up and started pumping in their money. At least as much as they are allowed.

Which is another inevitable sore point. Even if PSR need not be a major concern this summer, Newcastle have felt hamstrung to sustain an assault on the Big Six and it is a fair grievance. While some of the six bend the rules to remain in that exclusive posse, why should Newcastle be compelled to fight fair?

That, unfortunately for everyone, is an argument to rumble on far beyond this summer. And it’s an argument that won’t be on Gordon or Tonali’s radar, and probably not Bruno’s either.

Already, Newcastle are facing another summer of making the best of bad situations. Their recruitment last year as they reinvested the Isak money does not prompt much optimism.

If we accept that Newcastle cannot realistically keep all of Bruno, Gordon and Tonali happy on Tyneside – we haven’t even mentioned Tino Livramento – what is the best-case scenario?

Have Bruno commit to a new deal – one that would surely shatter their wage structure – while making big money on one or both of the others? Perhaps sell Tonali and come to an arrangement with Gordon to persist with a marriage of convenience for another year in the hope he glows up again to make himself attractive in 2027? Will Liverpool’s lust last that long? The Reds’ desires ought not to be Newcastle’s problem – not again – but they cannot simply be ignored because Gordon’s head won’t take much turning.

Newcastle want it known that a big summer of change is ahead – of course they do. After being embarrassed locally and internationally, they would be briefing the same sentiment even if there wasn’t a looming exodus to avert beyond the inevitable squad turnover.

At least this summer, PSR need not be a major factor in their thinking and they have a sporting director in place beyond Howe’s immediate family.

But Newcastle will be squeezed. It would pay to be decisive in decisions they might prefer not to make and retain a greater element of control than allow themselves to be put in a reactive position once more when one, two, three of their stars see their summer slipping away without the moves they may crave.