Following a disastrous season at St James Park, Newcastle will ideally look to rebuild in the summer, beginning with the ins and outs of players, some of which depart on a free transfer and undoubtedly, some of the top performers in a black and white shirt this season will depart to further their careers. Speculation is in the air in the North-East as fans try to predict which key players will sadly leave. Summer Departures looks at who Newcastle United will likely have to replace.
Newcastle United Summer Departures
Daryl Janmaat – One of Newcastle’s stand-out and most importantly, consistent players of the 2014/15 season, the Dutchman, plucked from Feyenoord last summer, has been attracting the likes of Southampton and Liverpool in recent weeks and once the transfer window opens it will be difficult for Newcastle’s boardroom powers to turn down a substantial offer. With Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne expected to complete a big-money move to one of England’s top clubs, and Liverpool’s Glen Johnson anticipated to be leaving the Merseyside club on a free transfer, that leaves a vacant position at right-back that both clubs need to fill. A proven Premier League player who has been consistent in a below-par side would fit in well at a top club, following the likes of Jose Enrique and Mathieu Debuchy in recent seasons to the realms of regular European football.
Therefore a replacement would be required, and a player of the same standard as Janmaat will be difficult to find. Should an offer in the range of £7.5m – £15m come in from one of the clubs currently sniffing around, then it is probable that Newcastle will spend another summer searching for a replacement right-back.
Vurnon Anita – Another of the Dutch contingent that may not pull on a Newcastle shirt after the end of this season, Vurnon Anita is being linked with a move back to his native Holland. Feyenoord is a possible destination, with paper talk citing a possible swap-deal with the Rotterdam club for terrific playmaker Jordy Clasie, already captain of the side as a 23-year-old. However, with Clasie having agreed to a contract extension that lasts until 2018, it means that any swap deal would probably include United paying a sum to Feyenoord in the process, but now as United are hauled into a relegation battle, the player himself may not fancy a move to the North East of England. Anita hasn’t quite managed to hold down a starting berth in the Newcastle side following his move from Ajax in the summer of 2012, and part of the reason is the physicality of the Premier League, with Anita suffering as a result due to his size, and therefore a similar concern would be the welfare and quality of Clasie in a much more physical environment.
If an offer from Feyenoord were not to come in, and another club did, Newcastle would perhaps accept an offer of anything below £3m – 4m, which is currently the valuation of the slight Dutchman.
Tim Krul – The Dutch stopper hasn’t necessarily been one of Newcastle United’s best performers this year but Krul has been a stalwart between the posts for the past 4 seasons. Renowned for his athletic goalkeeping style and more famously, his World Cup heroics in the Quarter-Final penalty shoot-out last summer, Krul is likely to be the subject of interest from a host of clubs. One possible destination could be the South Coast at The St Mary’s Stadium due to the injury that former Geordie Fraser Forster sustained for Southampton, that is expected to keep him out of action for up to a year. With the Saints manager Ronald Koeman unwilling to entrust veteran Kelvin Davis with the Number One jersey for such a prolonged period of time, he may be interested in investing in his fellow countryman Krul. Newcastle’s back-up goalkeeping options of Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow aren’t as impressive, experienced or consistent as Krul and therefore it is hoped that United can hold onto him, if they can stave off relegation.
Papiss Cissé – Another potential departure is that of Senegalese front-man Papiss Cissé. Boasting the best goals-per-minute ratio in the Premier League this season, Cissé may be in high demand from clubs abroad or possibly as a back-up striker for another Premier League side if a sufficient offer is made. As Cissé approaches his early thirties, the temptation to depart to a less-challenging league such as the Turkish Super Lig could be an attractive prospect, following his former strike partner Demba Ba who opted for a move East after enduring an unsuccesful stint at Chelsea. Another possibility is Serie A, renowned for it’s slower pace which has allowed ageing strikers Luca Toni and Antonio Di Natale to prolong their careers, still enjoying rich veins of goal scoring form in their twilight years. The prospect of this may be enticing to Cissé who has experienced an injury-hit and suspension-blighted campaign, playing just 19 of Newcastle’s 36 league games so far this term, but has returned an important 11 goals, proving he hasn’t lost his instinct in front of goal. Having missed 13 domestic matches for Newcastle this season, through suspension alone, the United hierarchy may be becoming disgruntled with the maverick forward’s ill-discipline and conduct on the field, most notoriously receiving a seven-match ban for a spitting incident with Manchester United’s Jonny Evans in early March. With the Senegal-international having not featured in a black and white shirt since his latest suspension, and the board always looking to cash-in on an in-form player, Cissé could find himself being a summer departure.
