John asked: Is there a buy-back clause in Elliot Anderson's contract? Ciaran answered: No, which is a reflection of the dire situation Newcastle were in when they sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest. Such was Newcastle's predicament in June 2024, the club had to dash to raise funds to avoid a breach of PSR rules and a subsequent points deduction.
The final part of our Q&A with BBC Sport's Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly focuses on contract clauses and expiry dates.
John asked: Is there a buy-back clause in Elliot Anderson's contract?
Ciaran answered: No, which is a reflection of the dire situation Newcastle were in when they sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest.
Such was Newcastle's predicament in June 2024, the club had to dash to raise funds to avoid a breach of PSR rules and a subsequent points deduction.
Forest, as a result, were in a strong negotiating position - not only to sell back-up goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos to Newcastle, but also to ensure the club could not simply re-sign Anderson for a set price down the line.
It proved an inspired piece of business for the City Ground club and Anderson is certainly worth a lot more than the £35m the Reds paid for him, having since become a full England international.
Though it was a wrench for Anderson to leave his boyhood club, the midfielder would not have had the same opportunities at Newcastle, where Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have locked down the starting positions in the middle of the park.
But the Magpies have not closed the door on a reunion one day.
Howe is not one for talking about other players, but it felt telling that he made an exception last week when the Newcastle head coach said he would "love" to have Anderson back at St James' Park.
And finally, Alvin asked: What are the plans for our older players who are out contract next summer (Nick Pope, Fabian Schar, Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth)? And those players whose deals expire in 2027 (Sven Botman, Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock)?
Ciaran answered: This will be near the top of the new sporting director's in-tray and one of the many reasons that is such an important appointment for Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe's focus has understandably been on the games and ensuring his side navigate an intense schedule.
Having already appointed a new CEO in David Hopkinson, who will be concentrated more on the commercial and business side, Newcastle will need an additional figure to look ahead and plot the club's medium to long-term strategy.
Whether it is Nottingham Forest chief football officer Ross Wilson who comes in, or not, Newcastle will take each contract situation on a case-by-case basis and Howe will be conscious not to upset a tight-knit dressing room with sweeping changes.
Keeping hold of Pope, Schar and Trippier, therefore, feels like a no-brainer at the moment.
While the trio's wages would obviously be taken into consideration, Newcastle would also have to factor in the cost of replacing such important players if they lost them for nothing.
The 2027 situations do not feel quite so urgent in comparison, given how each new contract has a knock-on effect on the club's PSR position.
But Newcastle will not want to find themselves in a potentially vulnerable situation where, say, Botman only has 12 months left on his deal in the summer, if the Dutchman stays fit and maintains his current run of form.
Category: General Sports
