EDDIE Howe expects Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes to both still be Newcastle United players at the start of next season, with the head coach building his plans around the in-demand duo.

Howe admits the books will have to be balanced with exits this summer but he insists that doesn't mean star players will move on.

Earlier this year, chief executive Darren Eales suggested Newcastle might have to cash in on their assets at some stage to ensure they comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, but Howe says the perception that the Magpies are vulnerable when it comes to keeping their star names this summer is incorrect.

And asked whether he expects Arsenal target Isak and Bruno, who is wanted by PSG, to stay, he said: "Yeah, I do. I'm planning for them to be here. All my planning is with them in my squad."

There's been no shortage of speculation linking Isak and Bruno with moves away, and that talk is likely to intensify in the coming weeks, but Howe had a warning for clubs who might think they can pick off Newcastle's players this summer.

He said: "I don't know why that is so relevant or in the news as much as it is. I think for us we're looking to build a squad and a really successful team and to do that, we don't want to sell our best players. That is hugely important for us, it will knock us back some considerable distance because we would have to start again.

"There is no weakness in the club to say we are going to sell anyone. But, of course, financial fair play is there and we'll have to comply like everyone else. That's why I've said this summer is going to be a very difficult thing to predict. But there is no desire from anyone at the football club to sell our best players."

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Howe previously said Newcastle would risk having to "start again" if they lost the likes of Isak and Bruno, and he says it would be hard to maintain success if stars are sold.

"You'd have to go through a process of rebuild and that is very difficult to do at this level because you have to bring somebody in who is unproven and you have to build them up to the level of the players you started with," he said.

"Sometimes that can take a year, two years, so we don't want to end up in that position. We're fiercely determined to grow on this year, we've had a really good season in tough conditions and if we've got our full squad back, which we hope we will have for pre-season, then I think we'll be a really good team."

Despite his insistence that Isak and Bruno are going nowhere, Howe admits there will be exits and Newcastle will have to trade this summer.

He said: "There'll have to be movement out. But I think there's no specific bracket or brand or type of player, however you want to look at it, that's assigned to that."