Long-serving star among senior Newcastle trio to follow exit-bound deadwood in senior cull
COMMENT
While Newcastle United fans will be firmly focused on who will be coming in the St James' Park over the summer, there is the not-so-small matter of shipping out some of the deadwood already at the club.
The Magpies might have a small squad in comparison to their Premier League rivals but there are a host of players still taking up chunks of the wage bill, who are hardly featuring for the first team.
Thankfully for the club, they already have two senior figures heading out of the door in the summer, with Jesus Gamez and Massadio Haidara reported by the Chronicle as certain exits, their contracts expiring at the end of the season.
However the duo will not be the only proverbial deadwood which find their way kicked out of the exit door, and there looks set to be a major cull of the senior side if the club do manage to retain their place in the Premier League.
So who is destined for the axe?
Here, Football Insider identifies the senior trio - all of which have made a first team appearance this season (ruling out the likes of Jack Colback and Matz Sels) - who are to follow Gamez and Haidara out of Tyneside, including one long serving star.
Click below to see which senior figures need shipping out from Newcastle United this summer...
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Achraf Lazaar
The Moroccan international managed to feature in the club's EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest right at the beginning of the campaign, before heading to Italy and Benevento on loan in a bid to hand him some first team action.
However, his temporary stay has turned into an absolute nightmare, and he was axed from the senior squad list for the second half of the season, meaning he will not feature again for the Serie A strugglers.
If he thought his time on Tyneside was bad, with just 10 Newcastle appearances to his name, then he will now be thinking again, and it does not look like it will get any better.
The Magpies will no doubt be looking for any exit for the 26-year-old, and he may have to settle on a move somewhere less desirable than Southern Italy to get his career back on track.
Click below to see which senior figures need shipping out from Newcastle United this summer...
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Henri Saivet
The 27-year-old midfielder look a near-certainty to leave the club last summer, having been outcast from the senior side alongside Jack Colback.
It was therefore a surprise to see him stay at St James' Park when the transfer window shut, but his chances of a comeback appeared far out of reach.
If remaining on Tyneside was a shock, then what happened later in the campaign was an utter miracle.
Not only did he start in a clash against West Ham but, after conceding a mistake which led to the Hammers taking the lead, he stepped up and whipped a free kick in for his first ever goal for the club.
With four Newcastle appearances to his name this season, he left for Sivasspor on loan in January, and his permanent exit appears a formality come the summer.
Click below to see which senior figures need shipping out from Newcastle United this summer...
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Rob Elliot
When Martin Dubravka arrived in the January transfer window on loan, it spelled trouble for both Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow, both of which have had runs in the first team this season.
Unfortunately for the Republic of Ireland international, injury has plagued his campaign, and he would have no doubt made more than the 16 appearances he has.
The 31-year-old has been with the Magpies for nearly seven years and his loyalty will not go unnoticed, but Dubravka's likely permanent signing, as well as the emergence of Freddie Woodman, means there is no place for Elliot any more.
Rafael Benitez may not even want him to leave, but at his age, he will want to be playing regularly, and that is not going to be at St James' Park, so an exit is best for all parties.
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