Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe must wait to discover the truth about how much he will get to spend in the next transfer window - but the head coach is not understood to be expecting any type of warchest.

The next few months will see Howe and his recruitment team faced with a stage by stage process in terms of transfers with June 30 again set to be an important checkpoint in the 2025 timeline. Having sold Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United fo £11million it has now been made clear by United that the deal had to go through to ensure Newcastle are in no danger of a points deduction by the time the June PSR health check deadline arrives.

It remains to be seen whether Almiron will be joined by others through the exit door and whether interest in the likes of Kieran Trippier, Sean Longstaff and Odysseas Vlachodimos tests the Magpies' resolve as they look to bolster their financial position. Last summer Newcastle only handed Howe £15m from club coffers to sign William Osula from Sheffield United.

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A fee of around £20million for Vlachodimos was effectively generated from Anderson's sale to Nottingham Forest and the Magpies were always going to see other funds held back after a £28million permanent deal for Lewis Hall. True, Newcastle did place high bids for Marc Guehi but those payments would have been spread and would have also meant departures before June 30 this year.

Chronicle Live was told again on Friday evening that Newcastle would not be placing any huge bids for players in the lead-up to deadline day with Howe stating on the eve of the Fulham game that business was "done". When asked if the lack of business would point to a "warchest" in the summer, Howe told us: "That's a question for another day."

The head coach was not palming the question off, because the reality is he must wait to see if Newcastle qualify for the Champions League or not this year. Only six months ago, Howe saw his budget dramatically cut at the end of the season when Newcastle failed to scrape into even the Europa Conference League.

Back then, Howe's original plans for the 2024/25 season included contract extensions for Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie, but that request was not granted, and the pair left on free transfers, the winger heading to Portsmouth and Dummett to Wigan, then Carlisle.

Notably, Howe urged his current crop of players to think about qualifying for the Champions League with their current employers as the season gets ready for the final straight. It is all relevant for United with a potential £40m jackpot on offer if Newcastle do climb into Europe's premier competition.

Make no doubt about it, Newcastle are growing quickly on and off the pitch but unless a big sale is made, it is looking like a big ask for the club to have a summer spending splurge in 2025. When asked about summer spending, Howe told Chronicle Live: "We haven't sat down and had those conversations. And don't have a clear picture of our financial situation.

"Obviously, we did (have conversations) in this window. But everything has been quite short-term, quite rightly because our focus is what we can and can't do in this window, obviously the summer window we will look differently, no doubt. The sort of details of that I have no idea at the moment."

After Almiron's exit to Atlanta United did not unlock any January funds, the club's scouting team have been tasked with finding value for money buys and younger signings with potential.

Free transfer market being scoured

Newcastle's interest in Malaga whizzkid Antonio Cordero has been confirmed to Chronicle Live - but the message on summer transfers is clear from those close to the transfer world.

Indeed, we have been told that given United's PSR challenges, that the out of contract market has been of particular interest to Howe's hard working scouting hub. Ironically, the scouts were hard at work on whittling down summer shortlists above the club's media centre as Howe was grilled on transfers on Friday!

The big summer freebie is undoubtedly Jonathan David of Lille. As Chronicle Live reported this week, the Canada international has been subject of cheeky January bids with clubs trying to tempt the Ligue 1 club's hand before his contract expires.

They were all met with swift rejections as Lille pointed out the price of qualifying for the Champions League could be around the £40m mark. Newcastle face massive competition if they went in for David but they are likely to need to qualify for the Champions League to lure him to Tyneside - and a competitive signing on fee will be needed.

Switching back to 18-year-old Cordero, he certainly fits the bill as far as sporting director Paul Mitchell's blueprint is concerned. Young and with plenty of potential is where Newcastle are focusing on.

An emotional week at Newcastle

It wasn't just a sad moment at Benton this week as the club said goodbye to Miguel Almiron. There were also a few tears as young midfielder Jamie Miley left for pastures new to join Hartlepool.

Miley, the older brother of Lewis, shone in pre-season under Eddie Howe and had an injury interrupted spell at Newport. But he will get a run in the side at Pools and can genuinely bolster his experience as a first-team regular.

Steve Harper, Newcastle United's academy director, said: "This is a great opportunity at the right time for Jamie and I'm sure he'll be a big success at Hartlepool.

"I'd like to thank Jamie for his efforts over many years and wish him the very best of luck for the future."