Eddie Howe makes a double Newcastle transfer plea ahead of Brighton clash

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has issued a warning to potential suitors for star men Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.

Brazil midfielder Guimaraes has been linked repeatedly with Paris St Germain in recent months, while Sweden striker Alexander Isak has been touted as a summer target for Arsenal and Tottenham.

However, asked if he expects both to remain at St James’ Park next season, head coach Howe speaking ahead of Saturday’s final home game of the season against Brighton, replied: “Yes, I do, I’m planning for them to be here. Yes, all my planning is with them in the squad.”

Guimaraes, a £35million arrival from Lyon in January 22, and record signing Isak, who cost the Magpies £63million when he joined from Real Sociedad two summers ago, have been huge hits on Tyneside .

Isak in particular is in a rich vein of form and took his goals tally for the season to 24 – 20 of them in the league – in last weekend’s 4-1 win at Burnley.

Howe said: “We signed him knowing that he was young and we wanted to develop his talents and give him an opportunity to showcase what he could do and for me, that was a long-term thing that we started with him, a long-term journey, hopefully, and I’ve just seen him flourish this year.”

Howe added: “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 would knock us back some considerable distance because we would have to start again.

Meanwhile, full-back Kieran Trippier will hope to prove his fitness for England’s Euro 2024 finals campaign this weekend after return to training following a two-month lay-off with a calf injury.