Last week, it was said that Eddie Howe had sent Jeff Hendrick to train with the reserves at Newcastle.
The £40,385-a-week man, as well as Dwight Gayle, Ciaran Clark, Matty Longstaff and Dwight Gayle, were banished from the first-team with Howe looking to trim his bloated squad.
Now, the 44-year-old will surely be pleased after managing to offload one of the quartet.
What’s the story?
Well, Hendrick is the first of the four to depart, albeit on a temporary basis.
Earlier today, Reading announced the signing of the 30-year-old on a season-long loan deal, and immediately threw him into action against Maidenhead.
Hendrick seemed to start well, as he had an effort cleared off the line in the first 30 minutes.
The Republic of Ireland international’s exit from Newcastle comes after he made just three Premier League appearances last season, spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Queens Park Rangers.
Clearly, he wasn’t going to get many chances under Howe, especially with Bruno Guimaraes now in the midfield, so a move to Reading works out for all parties.
More to join Jeff Hendrick in leaving Newcastle
After Howe managed to offload Hendrick, it seems Clark is next.
According to the Chronicle, the 32-year-old is set to undergo a medical with Sheffield United ahead of a move to Bramall Lane, where he is expected to agree terms on a season-long loan of his own.
Hopefully, by removing these players from the wage bill, Howe will be able to reinvest in some more signings to bolster his squad at St James’ Park.
Despite the exciting additions of Sven Botman and Nick Pope, there is still work to be done on attacking reinforcements, so be sure to keep an eye on things at Newcastle.
After all, we’d be very surprised if no more incomings arrive.
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