NEWCASTLE United have "no intention" of cashing in on any of their stars this summer, with chief executive Darren Eales saying the Magpies would be "crazy" to consider selling Alexander Isak.
Isak is one of the hottest properties in Europe and has been strongly linked with Arsenal and Barcelona.
But on the back of the release of the latest club accounts which show Newcastle to be in a healthy position, Eales says United have the "wish and desire to keep their key players".
He also revealed that fresh contract talks with Isak will take place at the end of the season. The 25-year-old's current deal doesn't expire until 2028 but Newcastle are keen to reward the striker with a new long-term contract and ward off interested clubs.
Newcastle faced a dramatic race to beat the clock last summer and had to offload Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to ensure they complied with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
But the picture will be different this summer.
Eales said: “We're in a position now where because of the fact we were able to move a couple of players in January (2024) that weren't really impacting on minutes on the pitch.
"We've got that wish and desire to keep our key players, they're all under long-term contracts. So from that perspective we have no intention at all of those players being moved on, and we're not under the gun or anything like that. We've got an ownership that is ambitious, wants the best for the club. From that perspective, it'd be crazy for us to consider it."
Asked how Newcastle would respond if the likes of Isak, Bruno Guimaraes or Anthony Gordon asked to leave this summer, Eales said: "The reality is that all of our players are under long-term deals. They’re committed to the club. So, from that perspective, we’re not looking to move any player on."
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And Eales isn't concerned about Isak's contract situation.
"We’re going to be clear – he has multi years left so all of these things, we will have the discussions in terms of a new deal just like we did with, whether it’s Joelinton, Bruno or Anthony Gordon," he said.
"That’s something that we will approach in the summer.”
Eales admits the speculation linking Newcastle's stars with moves away is frustrating, but knows it's something the club will have to continue to deal with.
He said: “It is part of football. You would rather have people talking about players than not in the sense we know he is a world class player and he is somebody, obviously, other clubs would covet because he is an incredible player.
“It is part and parcel of the world we live in, but it is frustrating. It is part of what football is, everybody wants to have a story and talk about it but when you think about the growth of Newcastle we have the ambition to be a top club.
"There is a sense of annoyance as we are almost seen as the next category down and it is fair game to talk about our players but we are striving as a club to be at the top table and we want our best players here and to be honest it shows the value Isak has that they talk about him all the time.”