This week, Newcastle United began their summer purge by revealing that eighteen players would be leaving Tyneside for free when their contracts expire in June. Eddie Howe bid farewell to 13 young prospects and five senior stars on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, but more marginal players with large salary packages may also be leaving St. James’ Park in the months to come.
Although Howe has little need for players like Ryan Fraser and Isaac Hayden, they have shown difficulty in finding new permanent contracts in recent seasons. The two had differing degrees of success during their Championship loan seasons at Queens Park Rangers and Southampton, respectively. The former just avoided relegation, while the latter advanced via the play-offs.
Fraser’s contract with Newcastle is still valid for another year, but he has made it obvious that he would want to relocate permanently to St Mary’s. The previous season, the winger and Howe had a highly publicized falling out before the latter moved to the south coast.
