Newcastle United fans are expecting Eddie Howe to have a significant clear-out in the summer transfer window after they qualified for the Champions League.
At one point in the Premier League season, Champions League qualification looked miles away for Eddie Howe’s side. In December, they found themselves mid-table coming off the back of a humiliating defeat away at Brentford. Very few knew that would be the start of a huge momentum shift on Tyneside.
Newcastle United went on a breathtaking run, winning nine straight games in all competitions to put them back in contention for the Champions League. Fans had to wait until after the final whistle on the last day of the season to learn their fate, but it was all celebrations in the end as they had done enough to secure a return to Europe’s top competition.
After qualifying, Bruno Guimaraes urged Newcastle to make big signings after he admitted the current squad is not strong enough to compete in the Champions League. The Newcastle captain was part of the squad that played in the competition in 2023, so he is well aware of what they need.
Newcastle have a budget of at least £150m this summer, but it could be increased if they make player sales. Now, a new report has shared the five players Howe wants to leave the club.
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Sean Longstaff on a list of five possible Newcastle United departures
This season has seen several Newcastle players left out in the cold after being given the cold shoulder by Howe. One of those is local lad Sean Longstaff.
The 27-year-old was a beneficiary of Sandro Tonali’s suspension last season, but now that the Italian has made his return, Longstaff has lost his place in the starting XI.
After starting the majority of Newcastle’s 38 Premier League games last season, Longstaff was limited to 25 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign, with most of them being from the bench.
Longstaff is not the only player facing the music, however. The Athletic has reported that five Newcastle players could leave this summer to make way for new signings.
Those players are:
- Sean Longstaff
- Martin Dubravka
- Odysseas Vlachodimos
- Isaac Hayden
- Matt Targett
Each player on the list has seen their game time slashed on Tyneside, and some have even failed to make a single league appearance for the Magpies all season.
Longstaff counts towards Newcastle’s ‘club-trained’ quota for the Champions League, but Howe still seems eager to let him go.
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Eddie Howe keen to keep eight key players at Newcastle United
While player sales are being looked at by Newcastle, retaining key stars is seen as equally important. The futures of several players have been called into question over the last few weeks, with the likes of Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon attracting interest from the Premier League.
Despite that, Howe appears adamant that he will not lose his top stars this summer, and will instead build a team around them that can be competitive in the Champions League.
The same Athletic report has shared the eight players Newcastle are keen to keep hold of this summer.
Those players are:
- Nick Pope
- Joe Willock
- Harvey Barnes
- Kieran Trippier
- Alexander Isak
- Anthony Gordon
- Tino Livramento
- Sandro Tonali
Some players on that list are not a surprise, but others will come as a huge shock to fans.
Joe Willock is linked with Crystal Palace this summer after a fairly poor season with the Magpies. Fans seem to have lost faith in Willock, but Howe is clearly still an admirer.
Newcastle fans think Willock could be used to sign Marc Guehi, who is of serious interest to Howe this summer.
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