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3 Newcastle United players opening talks with club for new contracts – Report

4 years ago
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It is now reported that three Newcastle United players are set to open talks with the club to sort out new contracts.

The Telegraph report that the three players in question are Federico Fernandez, Isaac Hayden and DeAndre Yedlin.

The trio all have just ten months of their current contracts remaining.

With no takeover and Mike Ashley seemingly set to remain in control for the foreseeable, any ambition in the transfer market looks unlikely.

Indeed, it has been claimed by a number of journalists that this summer will see Newcastle United mainly (entirely?) concentrating on free transfers and loan deals.

Signed on a free, new third choice keeper Mark Gillespie has been the only signing so far this summer.

Free transfer midfielder Jeff Hendrick heavily tipped to be the next, whilst free agent 20 year old Matty Longstaff is claimed to have agreed a new deal.

A new deal for Hayden would be a no-brainer regardless of a change of owners or not, so a contract extension would undoubtedly be seen as a big positive if it happens. However, until that happens the fears will remain that he will leave, as Isaac Hayden has repeatedly said he wants to move south for family reasons. Hayden sold and replaced by the very average free transfer Hendrick would not be met well by fans if that turned out to be the reality!

Even though he will turn 32 next February, getting Federico Fernandez to sign on for an additional year would also be popular, as he was Newcastle’s best defender last season and age isn’t as telling for a centre-back, unlike other positions.

Yedlin was seen as nailed on to leave but with Krafth so poor, Manquillo needed as cover for the left as well as first choice on the right, as well as no ambition to be shown in the transfer market, no surprise now if Yedlin did stay on.

There are actually almost half of the Newcastle first team squad who have less than a year of their contracts remaining, set to be out of contract on 30 June 2021.

Thirteen in total, because as well as Fernandez, Yedlin and Hayden, there are Dwight Gayle, Karl Darlow, Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark. Jacob Murphy, Andy Carroll, Rolando Aarons, Achraf Lazaro, Henri Saivet and Christian Atsu.

The Telegraph report that Dwight Gayle is going to play out this next season and then decide on his options, whether signing a new deal next summer with Newcastle, or moving on as a free agent.

However, from the Newcastle / Ashley perspective this wouldn’t be ideal, as surely at the minimum they would want the striker contracted beyond this current season, or sell him.

Gayle turns 30 in October and Newcastle / Ashley could still bank £10m in this transfer window, the only trouble being that he is the only striker who remotely looks like a goalscorer at NUFC, scoring four late on last season, compared to only two for £40m signing Joelinton, none for Muto, whilst permacrock Andy Carroll hasn’t scored a PL goal for 28 months.

Newcastle will surely look to avoid Dwight Gayle leaving as a free agent next summer, so may well push for a year’s extension, but maybe if Mike Ashley is / was willing to allow some spending, I wonder if any mileage in a Gayle plus cash offer for Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson? A big problem with that (as well as Ashley allowing any spending!) is Gayle still wanting to have a go at proving himself in the top tier, either with Newcastle or somebody else (West Brom?).

Whilst clearly other players with 10 months on their contracts clearly need to move on (Aarons, Lazaar, Murphy, Saivet, Atsu), it is strange that others haven’t been offered new deals, or have moved on. Fabian Schar top of the list as he is only 28 and will have a decent value, whilst Ciaran Clark and Karl Darlow are also players that would easily find new clubs, though maybe not Premier League ones.

The lack of movement in and out as we reach a point only three weeks before the new season, is worrying.

Mike Ashley apparently set to take his biggest risk ever and in the absence of a takeover happening, refusing to allow any proper investment in the squad and hoping that last year’s squad will be able to stay up again.

Considering how much luck Steve Bruce carried in so many games AND the fact that Newcastle won only four of their final twenty PL matches, this would be risky with a massive capital R.

What a mess.

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