Newcastle United are now considering releasing five first-team players at the end of their contracts in June. Loris Karius and Paul Dummett are among those with uncertain futures.
That is according to The Northern Echo, which reports that Newcastle are already planning for the summer transfer window. Plans for the off-season sales are starting to gather pace. But boss Eddie Howe will react proactively to any events over the next four to five months.
A leading aspect of the discussions now underway at St James’ Park is the futures of those with expiring contracts. Newcastle have six first-team players who will see their contracts expire on June 30. A further seven will see their terms lapse following the 2023/24 season.
Newcastle chiefs are currently leaning toward releasing five of the stars set to become free agents this year. That will include farewells from Tyneside for Toon products Dummett and Matty Longstaff. Ciaran Clark plus goalkeepers Karius and Mark Gillespie will also be axed.
Matt Ritchie is also out of contract on June 30 but The Northern Echo does not cite the ex-Scotland winger. But the 33-year-old has rarely played so far this term. Chronicle Live also touted him as a possible winter target for League One side Portsmouth back in November.
Dummett and Karius are among the out-of-contract Newcastle stars set for exits
Howe would have let Ritchie leave Newcastle in January having only fielded the forward in four fixtures this season. The 16-cap dynamo, whom Rafa Benitez signed for £12m in 2016 from AFC Bournemouth, has further only featured for 182 minutes across all competitions.
Gillespie, meanwhile, has not played a single second in any competition so far this season. Howe has also only named the 30-year-old in a matchday squad once for the Magpies’ EFL Cup second-round fixture. He was an unused substitute at Tranmere Rovers on August 24.
Dummett, too, has been an outcast this season and should now leave Newcastle when his contract ends. The 31-year-old made his sole outing so far at Tranmere. He also took a seat on the bench for only the fifth time over the Toon’s 21 Premier League games on Saturday.
Karius has not played for a single second so far this season, either. He joined the Magpies in September with an initial short-term contract. But Howe elected to extend the 29-year-old’s stay until June. The German has made the bench eight times but not since November.
Longstaff, meanwhile, spent the first half of the term on loan in League Two at Colchester United. Yet he only featured in seven fourth-tier fixtures and started in five around a host of injuries. He returned to Tyneside this January following an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Howe also shipped Clark out on loan last summer with Sheffield United taking the 33-year-old on board in the Championship. The 36-cap Republic of Ireland international has only featured in nine second-tier fixtures following two hamstring injuries and started in seven.
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