Newcastle 49-goal man among five Eddie Howe should discard this summer

This summer is a big one for Newcastle United; arguably even bigger than last year. Having failed to back up their Champions League campaign with European qualification this season despite finishing seventh – by virtue of Manchester United’s FA Cup victory – they must act smartly if they are to regain the upward trajectory they felt after the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover in 2021.

Player sales will be key due to Profit and Sustainability Rules, for raising money and making room in the squad. Arsenal fans’ ears may perk up in the hope they can snare Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, but Newcastle will do everything they can to keep both, even with the former’s release clause.

Here are five players Newcastle will look to sell this summer. For five players they should build around, click here.

Callum Wilson
Straight in with a player who represents the need to be ruthless this summer. Wilson is Newcastle’s second-highest Premier League goalscorer with 49 goals and, when fit, he has been a consistent performer for the Magpies since his move from Bournemouth in 2020. But therein lies the issue; he can’t stay fit for long enough.

There is no doubting Wilson’s ability to contribute for Newcastle, but at 32, with a year left on his St James’ Park contract, this is the sort of decision they will have to make. January’s interest from Atletico Madrid is proof there is still value in him, and plenty of Premier League clubs may look at his statistics and think he is worth the injury gamble. Eddie Howe “loves” the player, and were PSR not a factor, he’d likely be offered a new deal, but needs must.

Miguel Almiron
Another player who attracted interest in January, Almiron has generally been well received by Newcastle fans during his five-and-a-half years on Tyneside, but more recently, there has been a switch in the way he is viewed. The 30-year-old Paraguayan works incredibly hard for the team, but his output has always been questionable.

Last season’s tally of 11 Premier League goals is as many as he has scored in his other four seasons combined; there is a sense that if Newcastle want to reach the next level, they can’t carry players with stats like that.

There aren’t many players with a better attitude than Almiron, and crucially, in terms of market value, he may represent the most sellable asset; recouping the £21m paid to Atlanta United will be Newcastle’s aim. Almiron rejected a move to Saudi club Al-Shabab in January, but is open to offers with interest from Spain and, reportedly, elsewhere in England.

Martin Dubravka
Dubravka was a great servant in difficult times at Newcastle in the latter years under former owner Mike Ashley, but his days have been numbered since Nick Pope usurped him as number one in the summer of 2022. An unsuccesful loan spell at Manchester United was followed this season by a long spell in the side due to a shoulder injury Pope sustained in December.

The contrast between the pair was stark and became a huge reason Newcastle’s form dipped badly in the winter. Dubravka conceded a goal every 52 minutes in the league as opposed to 87 minutes for Pope before him; the trust from the defence clearly differed, too, with the Slovakian much more cautious off his line. With two years to run on his six-year contract, it is time for Newcastle to move him on, and those in the player’s camp have always hinted at an openness to a move.