OPINION
A number of Newcastle players could be in line to be sold by the club this summer, as Rafa Benitez looks to build funds needed to strengthen his squad this summer, if the Spaniard remains in charge.
Newcastle could reportedly add around £50million to their summer transfer budget by selling a group of players who have not been part of Rafa Benitez’s regular starting line-up this season, according to the Chronicle.
It is thought that Benitez, who is understood to be engaging in talks with Mike Ashley over his future on Thursday, was frustrated last summer by the slow sales of the likes of Chancel Mbemba, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Matz Sels, which meant funds were not available quickly enough for him to reinvest in his squad.
Benitez is now thought to be wanting the club to move quicker this summer in negotiating player sales if he is to commit his future to the club.
That could be bad news for the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Joselu, Ciaran Clark, Jack Colback, Rolando Aarons, Henri Saivet, Achraf Lazaar, Dwight Gayle and Karl Darlow, who are all thought to be amongst the players who Benitez could decide to sell this summer.
Out of those players the two who have had the most first team involvement this season for Newcastle are Shelvey and Joselu. The pair both made 16 appearances for Benitez’s side in the Premier League, but could both now be sold amid reported interest in Shelvey from West Ham, and from some Chinese Super League clubs in Joselu.
Clark also had some first team involvement this season, making 11 Premier League appearances, but he could now be sold with some Championship sides thought to be monitoring the defender’s situation.
All four of Gayle, Colback, Lazaar and Aarons spent time on loan in the Championship this season, with Gayle reaching the play-off semi-finals with West Bromwich Albion, while Colback played for Nottingham Forest and Lazaar and Aarons both featured for Sheffield Wednesday.
Neither Darlow or, Saivet played for Newcastle this season in the Premier League, with Darlow limited to just one Carabao Cup appearance in a 3-1 defeat to his former side Nottingham Forest, and Saivet spending time on loan at Turkish side Bursaspor.
The futures of all of those players look to be in doubt heading into the summer, with most if not all of them likely to be sold by Newcastle during the summer transfer window to release more funds to strengthen Benitez’s squad.
