Sunday in St. James’ Park can be a tearful day. Newcastle United will be celebrating finishing in the top five of the Premier League and securing their spot in the Champions League for the upcoming season if all goes according to plan.
Following the Carabao Cup victory in March, the Magpies might have one of their greatest seasons ever, and there may be a lot of celebrating at full time. But it will have a hint of melancholy for some.
Although Newcastle will have a busy summer transfer window, they will need to let go of some players in order to concentrate on incoming moves. There won’t be any mass departures because the team is small, but United needs to make the most of their sales potential in order to raise their spending capacity.
This implies that Sunday’s match against Everton will be the last time some people wear the black-and-white shirt, or for those who aren’t playing, go to the renowned old stadium to watch their teammates play.
Callum Wilson, who currently dons the No. 9 shirt, is arguably the most well-known. In a few weeks, his contract will expire, and since there has been no word on a new agreement, it is very possible that he will leave the team on a free transfer. Although there are several teams interested in him, it would be appropriate if he could score his 50th Premier League goal for Newcastle before departing.
Wilson and his United teammate Sean Longstaff are targets for Leeds. It would be very difficult for him to leave his boyhood club after graduating from the Academy, but the midfielder from North Shields has struggled to find first-team opportunities. Any transfer fee would be considered pure profit in PSR terms if United were to cash in on Longstaff.
Some of United’s four current goalkeepers may be going, since there has been a lot of discussion about new goalkeeper additions this summer. Despite Eddie Howe’s continued admiration for the former England great, Nick Pope is still the player Manchester United would collect the largest transfer price from.
If a fresh signing came along, would he want to be benched? He may not be at this point in his career, so even if he is still the team’s first choice and a vital member, things might quickly change. John Ruddy, Odysseas Vlachodimos, and Martin Dubravka, backup keepers, all have questionable futures. Vlachodimos will undoubtedly move on this summer following just one 45-minute cameo, but Ruddy was signed primarily as an emergency option and has served his role behind the scenes. Dubravka once more demonstrated his ability to fill in for Pope and might remain a No. 2 option, but he too has a busy summer ahead of him.
Jamaal Lascelles, the club captain, has not yet made an appearance this season due to injuries that have limited his playing time. Although both are important players of the team, they might be considered “expendable” if a suitable bid is received. Howe has frequently discussed Lascelles’ impact behind the scenes, and while he may not want to lose the center-back, it might be more difficult for him to make the first team if United signs a new defender in the summer.
Although Howe would undoubtedly be sad to lose Kieran Trippier, the former England full-back has drawn interest in recent transfer windows and may decide it’s time to move on. There is no questioning his skills, as his recent performance has demonstrated, but Trippier might be tempted to finish his playing career somewhere else given that Tino Livramento is anticipated to be the starting right back when Lewis Hall recovers from injury.
Joe Willock is no different. Due to a string of injuries, the former Arsenal midfielder has struggled to return to his peak performance this season. On his best day, he is a tremendous asset to Newcastle, and Crystal Palace has reportedly expressed interest. Although United would have to replace him in the team, they might at least think about his future if they receive the proper bid. Over the summer, there will undoubtedly be some shocks as well. Even though United isn’t under the same PSR pressures as they were last year, we still didn’t anticipate having to say goodbye to Elliot Anderson at this time. In any case, some people will make their last trip down the tunnel on Sunday.
READ MORE: sportchannel.co.uk
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