Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will look back on the current season with mixed feelings after admitting it has been “a challenge”.
The Magpies will head into Sunday’s final home game of the Premier League campaign against West Ham knowing the Magpies, who reached the knockout stage in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup semi-finals, have underachieved significantly in the league.
Howe’s side lies 13th in the table with two games remaining, 13 points adrift of the fifth place in which they finished last season.
Asked how he would look back on the campaign the 48-year-old, whose future has been called into question as a result, said: “I suppose time will tell, to a degree, but I think my initial thought now in response to that question is I will look back with probably mixed feelings.
“Some major, major highs, some great experiences, some memorable games, successful games for us and then some challenges and some periods where we’ve had to dig really deep and question ourselves and try to come back fighting, so a real mixture.
“(It is) probably different to the other seasons that I’ve had here, which have been more… not consistent success because it’s never like that, but more a feeling of smoothness through the season, of invariably positive feelings. This one has been a challenge.”
The Hammers will arrive on Tyneside engaged in a tooth-and-nail battle with Tottenham to avoid joining Wolves and Burnley in the Sky Bet Championship next season, and Howe admits the plight of the two London clubs provides a salutary lesson for the remainder of the top flight.
He said: “It’s a great thing for the Premier League in the sense that you never quite know what’s going to happen, but the challenges are there for every club – including us – that you have to keep improving, you have to keep evolving to stay with the competition.”
Newcastle announced on Saturday that defender Emil Krafth will leave the club when his contract expires this summer, ending a seven-year stay on Tyneside.
Kieran Trippier is also set to leave and there are question marks over the future of Anthony Gordon, and a report has now revealed PIF are set to back Howe significantly to rebuild his squad this summer.
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According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, the Newcastle owners will be ambitious in the market this summer, starting their business in Ligue 1.
Indeed, having already launched a move for Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, the Magpies are now one of the two “frontrunners” for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
“Monaco are one of those clubs that do bring players in, develop them and then sell them for the right price.
“That’s probably why these Premier League suitors have been encouraged that maybe Camara could be prised away from the Principality this summer.
“As things stand right now, you’ve got Liverpool and Newcastle who are probably the two front runners for the Senegal international.”
The 22 year-old has played 23 times in the French top flight this season, scoring once, providing four assists and averaging 2.3 tackles per game.
The French media have also reported that Newcastle are ahead of Liverpool due to the fact they have already spoken to the player’s agents to discuss terms.
Already with 41 Senegal caps to his name, Newcastle would be getting a player with “huge” potential according to Magpies content creator Pete Davey.
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Eddie Howe’s side are now leading the race.
