Eddie Howe now plans to get rid of ‘vital’ £5m Newcastle player in January

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Newcastle United fans saw some long-serving players leave St James’ Park in the summer, and it looks like the departures are going to continue in January.

Eddie Howe got rid of Allan Saint-Maximin and Karl Darlow. The former went to Saudi Arabia to facilitate Newcastle’s moves for Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, while the latter signed for Leeds where he has mainly been a benchwarmer so far.

Now the Newcastle boss is looking to move a couple more fringe players on in 2024, as he prepares to make room for new signings that will help the club grow even further.

And that is why it could be the end of the road for Emil Krafth and Javi Manquillo.

Newcastle looking to sell Emil Krafth and Javi Manquillo soon

According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle will make Krafth and Manquillo available for moves away when the January transfer window opens in just under three months.

The right-back duo have not played a single competitive minute between them this season, with Kieran Trippier continuing to shine in that position. He is also backed up by Livramento now, who the club invested heavily in during the summer.

The 20-year-old already looks to be a major talent, meaning that he will likely always fill in when Trippier is unavailable. Therefore, there is pretty much no chance of Krafth or Manquillo getting minutes.

Krafth has not played for Newcastle since his injury

It is particularly disappointing for Krafth, who is just getting back to fitness after more than a year out of action with a knee injury.

The Swedish defender recently made his comeback for the Under-21s, while Howe has described him as a ‘vital‘ part of his squad.

However, it looks like that is not actually the case as Newcastle look to move the £5million Steve Bruce signing on.

A move could also be on the horizon for Manquillo, who joined the club in 2017 when Rafa Benitez was manager.

Like Krafth, his Newcastle contract expires in the summer of 2024, so a January departure makes sense for all involved.