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Eddie Howe says Newcastle need “world-class” facilities if the club is to realize its ambitions and keep its top stars happy, after Mail Sport revealed an industry-leading architectural firm will design a new training ground.
US firm Populous will provide plans for a state-of-the-art complex which Newcastle's Saudi-led owners hope will be the envy of the Premier League. Populous was the brains behind Real Madrid's training center and Tottenham Hotspur's stadium.
Howe and his players are currently based at their outdated Benton site and while efforts have been made to improve those facilities, they are still far behind the standard of other top clubs.
We understand that staff have visited the training centers of Liverpool, Leicester and Tottenham to get an idea of what is possible, and the plans drawn up by Populous are said to be hugely impressive.
Infrastructure investment is left out of the PSR's calculations, and Howe believes it is an area where Saudi owners can make a difference, especially as it would signal the club's ambition for players such as Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon.
“I'd certainly like to think so (the owners will invest in infrastructure),” Howe said, and there are also plans to upgrade St James' Park or a new stadium. 'Infrastructure is very important when trying to build a football club up and forward.
Eddie Howe has claimed Newcastle needs 'world class' facilities to keep top stars happy
Mail Sport has revealed that an industry-leading architectural firm will design a new training ground at the club
Populous will build their state-of-the-art training facilities (pictured: plans for QPR's training ground still displayed on their website)
The move would be a sign of the club's ambition for players like Alexander Isak (pictured)
'The training ground is the place where the players live day to day. That environment is key. It can help you recruit players. It can help you keep players happy.
“We need top-notch facilities if we are to realize the club's ambitions and of course that is linked to the stadium.
“Our stadium is fantastic now and I love playing there, but if we want to improve, whether that means staying or leaving, whatever the outcome, trying to bring world-class facilities here will be a turning point for us.”
Howe, however, says he has not been involved in the design of the training ground, unlike his hands-on approach when helping with plans for former club Bournemouth's new complex.
“I don't think I'll be (involved), that will be for other people to design,” he said. 'You have to remember the Bournemouth story, I was everywhere! I'm not saying that as a negative thing, there just wasn't the infrastructure that there is here. We had gone from League Two to the Premier League.
“This is a very different club and with the decisions about the training ground and the stadium, I will be in the background, listening to what is happening from the experts involved and hopefully watching in amazement at what we are going to do.” .'