EDDIE HOWE has dismissed speculation linking Newcastle United with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar – and spelled out the financial realities that will continue to dictate the club’s transfer policy this summer.

St James’ Park has been touted as a potential destination for both Ronaldo and Neymar in the last few days, with Newcastle’s Saudi Arabia-backed ownership group having previously outlined their desire to compete for the very biggest players in world football.

Regardless of where the Magpies finish in the current campaign, there will be money to spend this summer, but the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules continue to severely limit the amount the club can spend on transfer fees and wages.

As a result, there will not be a seismic shift from the transfer policy that has dictated Newcastle’s dealings over the course of the last 18 months, ruling out any move for the likes of Ronaldo, Neymar or Lionel Messi this summer.

“Since the takeover, naturally everyone has assumed that the biggest names in world football will be going to Newcastle,” said Howe, who was speaking ahead of Sunday’s top-three showdown with Arsenal. “Now, we’ve not recruited in that way. Financially, we can’t recruit that way at the moment.

“But also, we have to bring the right people and the right players into the group. I will say that the transfer market is such a complex decision. You can’t just pick a name and bring them in – there’s got to be a lot of thought goes into what we’re doing, both financially and looking at the players.

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“It doesn’t frustrate me because those two players you mention are incredible players. I don’t waste any time over speculation. I know what direction I want to take the team in, and I know what we can and can’t do in the transfer market, so a lot of the names will not be accurate.”

Instead of focusing on the likes of Ronaldo and Neymar, Howe accepts that Newcastle’s current financial model is dependent on being able to source and recruit emerging players who then go on to attain world-class status as their development continues on Tyneside.

“Currently, we have to recruit those players before they explode onto the world scene because we wouldn’t be able to come close to affording those players (Ronaldo and Neymar) as they are the best players in the world,” said Howe.

“We’re never going to be in a position currently to afford their transfer fees and wages. We need to go underneath, find them young and then develop them into the players they want to be.”