Revealed: The three strikers on Newcastle's summer radar despite insistence Alexander Isak won't leave, the one bit of good news for stricken Sven Botman and what will happen to Wembley 'Cup Scheme': NEWCASTLE CONFIDENTIAL

Newcastle are still scouring the market for big-ticket strikers this summer, despite their determination to keep Alexander Isak.

It was telling when chief executive Darren Eales said three times during his media briefing this week that the club’s star players were under long-term contracts, and the desire not to sell Isak was clear.

While that is the plan, scouts are still taking in games involving frontmen who would only become targets were the Swede to go this summer.

Confidential understands Ipswich’s 10-goal frontman Liam Delap has been added to that list and Newcastle are monitoring his situation.

They would face strong competition for the 22-year-old and the word in the game is that Chelsea are favourites if Ipswich are relegated. We understand Manchester United scout Simon Wells has also watched Delap this season.

Meanwhile, Newcastle scouting chief Steve Nickson has watched Jonathan David of Lille and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who has long since had admirers inside St James’ Park.

The preference and the intention is for Isak to stay, and talks over a new contract will be revisited in the summer.

But contingency planning is necessary and sporting director Paul Mitchell and his team know they cannot be caught cold should the Isak situation change.

No risks with Sven

Newcastle will not take any risks with Sven Botman during the remainder of this season, and only after knee surgery will the extent of his absence be known.

Mail Sport revealed this week that the defender is set for an operation after seeing a specialist on Tuesday, and that will rule him out of the Carabao Cup final on March 16.

Botman will no doubt be determined to return before the end of May, especially as the issue is not thought to be too serious and is not connected to the ACL injury that kept him out for 10 months before his return in January. That is the good news.

However, the 25-year-old’s season could yet be over if medical staff decide the risk outweighs the reward in him playing before the end of the campaign. That is a consideration for down the line.

Botman was outstanding after his comeback in January, but he has not been seen since limping out of the 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second leg win over Arsenal on February 5. It was hoped he would have returned by now, but this week’s specialist opinion has advised that surgery is the best way forward.

The news compounds a devastating week for Eddie Howe after the loss of Anthony Gordon to suspension and Lewis Hall to a foot injury.

Hall over for Lewis

On the subject of Hall, the defender has been nursing a problem for a few weeks and was playing through the pain.

Indeed, it was the player’s preference to carry on and not miss the Wembley final. However, a scan revealed the extent of the foot fracture and the risks of playing with the injury were deemed too great.

It perhaps explains why Hall’s form had dipped a little during some recent matches, when he was not playing with the same aggression that saw him earn a first senior England call-up earlier in the season.

The 20-year-old’s season is definitely over and it is likely that Tino Livramento will now be the man tasked with marking Mo Salah at Wembley, even if that could yet be in a 5-2-3 system that was used against Arsenal in the semi-final.

Barca boys back together

From Bogota to Bangor, Newcastle idol Faustino Asprilla turned up at a surprise 50th birthday party for his old team-mate Keith Gillespie last weekend.

The Colombian flew all the way from his home country to Northern Ireland to celebrate the occasion with his pal. Gillespie was said to be blown away when he walked into Bangor Golf Club, not only seeing a room full of family and friends, but also Tino and the likes of John Beresford and Darren Peacock.

It was Asprilla and Gillespie who famously combined during Newcastle’s 3-2 win over Barcelona in their first ever Champions League group game in 1997. Gillespie supplied two of the crosses for Asprilla’s hat-trick as the winger destroyed Barca left back Sergi, then considered among the best in the world.

Tino said to partygoers in Belfast: ‘If there was one person I’d travel to the UK for, it’s Keith Gillespie – we shared one of the greatest nights of our lives together!’

Rise resistance 

Newcastle’s Fan Advisory Board have reacted with ‘huge disappointment’ to the club’s decision to raise adult season-ticket prices by five per cent.

Darren Eales was asked by journalists this week if the club would refrain from a general percentage increase, especially with thousands of supporters coming out of a 10-year price freeze that was introduced under Mike Ashley. That alone will generate millions of pounds in extra revenue.

It felt clear from his answer then that a rise was likely, and that was confirmed on Thursday, when Eales said: ‘Raising ticket prices is a decision we make reluctantly but it is one that is unavoidable if we are to keep pace and build towards our collective ambitions.

‘In a world of profit and sustainability rules, we must continue to face up to challenging decisions and find a balance that keeps football affordable while ensuring the club is able to compete. Without this approach, achieving the sustainable success we all crave simply becomes impossible.’

The counter argument of supporters is that record TV deals should offset the need to squeeze extra cash from match-going fans.

The Football Supporters’ Association have written to the Premier League and asked them to introduce a prize freeze across all 20 top-flight members. That is part of the ‘Stop Exploiting Loyalty’ campaign which has seen protests at several clubs in recent months.

And Newcastle’s FAB said: ‘We unanimously reject the decision by the club to raise adult season ticket prices by five per cent for the third consecutive season.

‘Against the backdrop of the long-term deal ending, and the announcement made by the club earlier this week regarding improved financial performance for the year to 30 June 2024, we reject the choice made by the club to increase the cost of all adult season tickets by a further five per cent.

‘Our position remains that there should be no further increases on top of the end of the long-term freeze. We are hugely disappointed and request full consultation on all other ticketing decisions. This includes, individual match tickets, cup scheme and memberships.’

Cup Scheme to stay

The Cup Scheme that saw fans placed into pots from 1 to 6 for Carabao Cup final tickets – depending on how many cup matches they had attended – is set to stay.

The initiative was introduced this season and, while it was not clear how Wembley tickets would be allocated should the team have got there, the name of the scheme was a big clue as to its importance to securing those tickets down the line.

It is expected that confirmation will follow of the process staying in place for next season, leaving fans in no doubt as to what is needed to guarantee Wembley seats. Ticket prices for cup matches will also be frozen.

Held to account

Newcastle’s accounts for the 2023-24 season were released this week, revealing record revenue of £320m (up from £250m) but a loss after tax of £11m (albeit down from £72m).

But what do all of the numbers mean? I asked Robbie Millar, a Lecturer in Sports Business Management in the School of Sport and Physical Activity at Sheffield Hallam University, to take a closer look and return his verdict.

In summary, Millar says: ‘Newcastle are starting to build the foundations of a commercially-driven, professional-team sporting organisation in the 21st century. 

‘Unfortunately, the under-investment and lack of commercial strategy under the previous ownership meant they were starting from a low baseline compared to their competitors. The business strategy is working, even it does not look like it from the net losses. On and off the pitch, Newcastle are gaining on their rivals.’

One interesting piece of analysis – and it relates to the rise in ticket prices – is that the club’s matchday revenue per seat was £961, up from £726 in 2022-23. Millar noted: ‘Newcastle still have a way to go to reach the matchday revenue of rivals clubs and, whilst these latest figures are impressive, they are likely to now plateau. 

‘This is the reason why the club wanted to remove the 10-year price freeze deal for season-tickets – it is because they need to find new ways to increase matchday revenue.

‘This also links to the need and rationale for stadium expansion or building a new stadium – more seats to satisfy the demand for tickets, but most importantly, more hospitality capacity and improving services for spectators such as the food and drink provision that can increase the revenue-per-seat spend.’

Newcastle, then, are heading in the right direction, even if there is still a fair distance to travel.

Toon Teaser 

It’s Toon Teaser time. Last week’s puzzler was… can you name the TEN players to have played for Newcastle and Reading since 1992-93?

The answers were; Andy Carroll, Jimmy Crawford, Les Ferdinand, Andy Griffin, Danny Guthrie, Jeff Hendrick, Shaka Hislop, Zurab Khizanishvili, Tommy Wright and Paul Brayson.

I’ll come clean on this, my question last week asked for nine players. It was only when reader Jack M sent me a message did he reveal that it was 10! The missing man? Brayson, who played twice for Newcastle in the League Cup.

This week’s question is… can you name the ELEVEN players to have played for Newcastle and Barnsley since 1992? This is hard, I won’t lie… Good luck!