With Newcastle United’s sensational return to Europe’s premier competition sealed, this summer is looking like one of the most exciting in years. But how will UEFA regulations impact on the way that Dan Ashworth and the recruitment team spend their money?
Each club participating in the competition must submit two lists of players. List A consists of a maximum 25-man-squad and list B has an unlimited number of players, who are born on or after January 1, 2022, and have trained at Newcastle for two consecutive years or three with a maximum of one loan.
So, list B will mainly consist of players from the academy such as the promising Lewis Miley. Out of the 25, eight must be classed as ‘home-grown’. Four of those eight must be ‘club trained’ meaning that they have been with Newcastle for three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
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Sean and Matty Longstaff, Elliot Anderson and Paul Dummett are the only first-team players that are eligible for the ‘club trained’ selection currently.
Eddie Howe’s side will have no problem with the ‘association players’ selection as the majority of the squad has trained with an English side between the 15 and 21 age range.
There also needs to be at least three goalkeepers in the 25, with one of which needing to be home-grown, Nick Pope will fill that role, but if Loris Karius and Martin Dubravka leave then another keeper will be needed.
If Dummett does not sign a new contract and Matty Longstaff is let go, the Magpies will have only two ‘club trained’ players. Should a club not be able to fill out the home-grown selection, they must leave a space in their team. For example, if Dummett and Matty Longstaff leave – and do not get replaced – Eddie Howe would only have a 23-man-squad.
Could Newcastle look to bring in their former academy players?
An option could be to bring back either Tim Krul or Fraser Forster to fill in one of the ‘club trained’ positions, this would also address a scenario where Dubravka and/or Karius leave the club.
The challenge for the Newcastle hierarchy will be bringing in the right players that are eligible, but that also improve the team for their first Champions League since 2002.