Eddie Howe had ended the winter window in a very similar manner to 12 months ago - by putting up a fight to hold on to Kieran Trippier

Turkish table-toppers Galatasaray have tried to lure Trippier to Istanbul with the offer of a plush private villa and generous tax free conditions. However, just like last January, Howe made a plea to his board that Trippier is still extremely important to the Magpies despite what those close to Turkish transfer intermediaries say is an "incredible offer" for the right-back.

Even a cash fee for Trippier, which would be minimal given he is now 34, would not compensate Howe and his backroom staff. Trippier is no longer guaranteed a game for the Magpies with Tino Livramento deemed first choice at right-back but a lack of cover and quality if injuries kick in on Tyneside.

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This time last year, Newcastle could have netted around £15million as Trippier was the subject of bids from Bayern Munich. In the end, Howe won the battle to hold on to one of his dressing room leaders.

But Newcastle's board are determined to stay on the right side of the line when it comes to PSR, and while Howe made the point that Lloyd Kelly the offer from Juventus was almost deemed too good to be true, and like Miguel Almiron's exit to Atlanta United, the immediate stance from Newcastle was that he could not be replaced.

Notably, Howe made a point of Trippier's contributions after the 2-1 loss to Fulham saying he "added control" when coming off the bench. Whether that is a hint that Trippier could get an enhanced role against Arsenal, with Newcastle needing experience to steer them to a Wembley final remains to be seen.

Trippier started the season off the back of intense speculation that he would leave with Turkish sides and clubs across Europe keen on his signature while Everton were also credited with interest. But he remained at St James' Park and recently broke his silence to say: "Earlier in the season, we couldn't find our rhythm for whatever reason, but over the last eight games, we certainly have. We haven't really deviated too much from what we were doing earlier in the campaign.

"We remained positive and stuck together, which is so crucial and is something I've been big on since I arrived at the club. Once a team starts getting rhythm back you start seeing the best of individuals - like Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon - when they're on fire the team just clicks."

Trippier, the first signing of the club's post-takeover existence, also feels that expectations have risen at St James' and the players must now live with that. He said: "There's more expectation now, and as players we have to deal with the expectation from the supporters - and even more importantly - the expectations we have of ourselves because we demand a lot from each other as a group.

"The rewards over that period included the Champions League and a cup final and we want to keep building on that. It is vital we stay grounded and don't take anything for granted."