Isaac Hayden has predicted it will take four or five years 'at least' for Newcastle United to win the Premier League because of Financial Fair Play.
Newcastle are currently flying in third place in the table following a superb start to the campaign. The Magpies picked up 22 points from a possible 24 in the eight games before the World Cup break and you have to go back to August for Eddie Howe's side's one and only defeat this season.
To put that turnaround into perspective, Newcastle were 19th a year ago after a solitary win up to that point. However, Howe has since improved a host of players he inherited, such as Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Fabian Schar, while also recruiting smartly in the transfer market.
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Newcastle have spent around £210m to date and Howe previously warned the club had 'slightly exceeded where we wanted to be' in terms of Financial Fair Play. With those spending regulations in mind, Hayden, who is on loan at Norwich City, has said that it will take time for Newcastle's wealthy owners to fulfil their ultimate ambition - which the hierarchy have already stressed themselves.
"Yes, we're the richest club in the world and it's got endless pits of money," the midfielder told the Steven Sulley study podcast. "However, there's a big question mark in that in terms of Financial Fair Play.
"There's only a certain amount of money you can use of that wealth every year or every transfer window and with infrastructures to improve the club. For me, looking at everything we have talked about and everything the club has talked about, you have got to put four, five, six years before winning a Premier League.
"Don't get me wrong - they could do a Leicester this year or next year - but to sustainably be there and contend, it's well-known Liverpool and Man City spent a £1bn on their squad over the last six, seven years. The squad transformation needs to take place - better players - but I must say the squad there now at Newcastle is very good. They have got a lot of really good players, a lot of players that have improved under the new manager, but historically that's what it takes.
"Manchester City now are dominant - always at the top of the league over the last two, three, four years - because they incrementally increase the better players into the squad, better infrastructure. The training facilities at City are, arguably, the best in the country. The things like the nutritionist, the physios, the doc - everything is of the highest level.
"That takes time. You can't just rock up to a club and go, 'I'm going to bring in the best of this, the best of that' because it's impossible. You have to slowly, incrementally build a football club.
"It wasn't in a bad position anyway because we finished in mid-table - for three or four years it was between 11th and 13th - so we have almost been consistent but to bridge that gap between 11th and winning the league is a big gap to bridge. I think it will take four or five years at least."
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