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CRAIG HOPE: Canny Newcastle are refusing to be held to ransom… the richest club in the world are building for the long term and won’t pay silly money for transfer targets

With pockets deeper than the oil fields from which they drill their black gold, Newcastle United’s Saudi Arabian owners should, logic dictates, be able to afford the £50million or so it would take to sign Leicester City’s James Maddison.

Affordability, though, is not the issue. Profit and Sustainability, as the Premier League call their spending rules, is the limiting factor. With losses capped at £105m over three years, there are well-defined restrictions on what the club can invest in players.

Manager Eddie Howe warned as much in May and said last week, ‘I hope you realise now I was telling the truth’, as he again outlined the modest budget he has.