Several sources have confirmed that is the figure they are working towards and, because of Financial Fair Play, the only way to push it closer to £100m would be to sell a player now or bank on doing so next summer.
Mail Sport understands that Leicester’s Maddison is a target they are ready to pursue, with Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, Moises Caicedo of Brighton and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher also under consideration.
Newcastle have spent £250m across three transfer windows under Saudi-led ownership and, following this season’s top-four finish, supporters had expected a summer of record investment.
However, Mail Sport has been told that current FFP calculations allow for a spend of £70-80m, and Howe and the scouting department are aware of those numbers. The caveat is that, as we have seen in previous windows, Newcastle have gone beyond their initial budget.
