Newcastle United ins and outs for Eddie Howe to consider this summer - including £68m-rated star

Transfer business will obviously be dictated by which division The Magpies are playing in next season.

While there are no guarantees, 31 points from 29 games sees Eddie Howe’s side sitting 14th going into the final two months of the season.

Barring a significant collapse in the final nine games, there is now an expectation that Newcastle will remain a Premier League club for the 2022-23 campaign.

And with that, comes the potential for the club to step things up in the transfer market.

The limitations of the January transfer window and the looming threat of relegation will not apply this summer. There is a lot more freedom, and free agents about.

Although paper talk and speculation may attempt to link names like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to Newcastle this summer – the reality is the club will continue its sensible and pragmatic transfer strategy.

If the right players become available, Newcastle have the resources to acquire them. But they will not break the bank in an attempt to drag a superstar name to Tyneside.

The Daily Telegraph has even reported that United’s transfer budget could be closer to the £60million mark.

But when you consider Newcastle the likely outgoings at Newcastle this summer, even a £60million net-spend of improvements could well be enough for the club to push into the top half or beyond next season.

Who should leave this summer?

There is no room for sentimentality at Newcastle this summer – several players need to be moved on.

Matt Ritchie, Karl Darlow, Federico Fernandez, Miguel Almiron, Emil Krafth and Dwight Gayle aren’t part of Eddie Howe’s long-term plans on Tyneside, therefore it would be prudent for the club to cash in as quickly as possible.

Freddie Woodman and Jeff Hendrick – who are currently out on loan at AFC Bournemouth and QPR respectively – may have already played their last competitive games for the club.

Ciaran Clark and Isaac Hayden have been left out of Newcastle’s 25-man squad and should also find new clubs in the summer. Jamal Lewis is another whose future is in serious doubt though, at 24, he still has age on his side and is currently the clubs only senior left-back contracted for next season.

Whether he remains at Newcastle will be determined by what decisions are made regarding Paul Dummett and Matt Targett.

Dummett, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar are all out of contract in the summer but Howe is keen to hand new deals to all three. Dummett and Longstaff will be resigned to being squad players and rotation options should they remain at Newcastle while Schar’s recent form could see him keep his place as a starter.

Who should Newcastle sign?

It’s clear Newcastle still need another striker. Chris Wood is serving his purpose as a functional focal point in the side.

While the 30-year-old is useful in a relegation scrap, he is not the type of striker to take the club to the next level.

Callum Wilson has the quality to score 15 to 20 goals a season but simply isn’t reliable enough from a fitness perspective.

Both forwards are now the wrong side of 30 so it’s important the club inject some youth and energy to their forward line. Hugo Ekitike seemed like an ideal fit from Reims in January but that ship may well have sailed.

Darwin Nunez is an exciting prospect from Benfica. At just 22-year-old, the Uruguayan has netted 26 goals in 33 appearances for the Portuguese giants this season.

A player in that mould would be exciting and one the club could look to build a team around in the long-term.

Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick is another who has been on Newcastle's radar. Following a fine Euro 2020 with Czech Republic, he’s scored 20 goals in 20 games in the Bundesliga this term.

Improving options out wide will also be important with the likes of Almiron and Ritchie potentially leaving. An upgrade on Jacob Murphy and a player who can really challenge and put pressure on Allan Saint-Maximin would be a welcome addition.

In spite of Newcastle’s success with Joelinton, Joe Willock and Jonjo Shelvey in midfield – it’s another area that could be strengthened by another signing. Acquiring Bruno Guimaraes' former Lyon teammate Lucas Paqueta would be a smart move providing the price is right.

A move for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips would also represent a substantial upgrade on likely departees Hayden and Hendrick.

Though it may be a case of one or the other to avoid over-saturating the midfield.

Despite all the concern in January, Newcastle have managed quite well defensively with Matt Targett and Dan Burn being very impressive at the back.

Triggering the £15million option to buy in Targett’s loan from Aston Villa seems like a no-brainer given his current form.

But after missing out on big targets like Sven Botman and Diego Carlos in January, the centre-back area is one Newcastle still need to revisit in the summer.

A move to AC Milan is looking likely for Botman but Carlos, who is currently out injured, could be revisited at the end of the season.

It’s crucial Newcastle are able to secure a top centre-back signing this summer if they want to push up the Premier League table.

In goal, Martin Dubravka has been virtually untouchable at Newcastle for the past few seasons. But if an upgrade is available, United will explore their options.

Dean Henderson from Manchester United and Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea have been linked. It’s certainly an area to keep an eye on.

In short, pretty much every area should be strengthened where possible.

Overall, Newcastle should be looking to sell or release around 10 senior players this summer which should give them more than enough space to bring in five quality additions without breaking the bank too much.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Newcastle United coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription; sign up here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor