SIX players Rafa could sacrifice to raise funds for January spending

With news on a potential takeover stalling, us having riches to spend in January is appearing more and more unlikely.

While terms between Ashley and PCP are being thrashed out, Rafa will be thinking about ways he can strengthen the squad with a limited budget. Who in the current squad may be sacrificed to raise much needed capital for some much needed additions in January?

Alexander Mitrovic 

The Serbian hitman has been a regular topic of debate this season and after wit us crying out for a striker, his days look numbered. With Joselu dropped it appeared to be his big chance against Chelsea but he was again overlooked. Rafa clearly doesn’t see a future for him at the club and the problem we face is after a lack of football, his stock may have considerably fallen. We wouldn’t be surprised if he finds a loan move come winter time to make way for a new striker on the wage bill.

Chancel Mbemba

It has been an odd season for Mbemba so far, as he has been used sparingly in an unfamiliar left back role. With Dummett injured, no one has really claimed the role. Despite being back in the side recently, you just feel he is not in Rafa’s long term pans either. He can’t get a game in his favoured position even when Lascelles in injured so again expect a departure soon; which is a shame after showing such early potential.

Dwight Gayle

Gayle has returned to the XI after being dropped most of the season and has returned the favour with goals in both the defeats at Old Trafford and Samford Bridge. It is likely that ideally Rafa would like to keep Gayle but with finances so tight unless the takeover materialises, he would be the obvious one to move on to raise funds for a new striker. Trying to sell him at the end of the summer window was a sign of where he stands too. We’d only let him go if a replacement is lined up, but don’t be surprised if he is sold, with Rafa clearly reluctant to fit Gayle into his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Offers from ambitious Championship sides could arrive.

Karl Darlow

With Eliott’s form dipping, Darlow has been drafted back into the side the last few games. Like Gayle though, he remains an asset we could sell and one Benitez is not entirely convinced on. Rafa clearly wants an experienced keeper which would surely signal the end for Darlow. With Cillessen, Casillas, Casilla, Reina and Adrian all recently linked,  Darlow could be one to raise funds for Rafa to bring in his own number one in January.

Mo Diame

Diame just hasn’t really delivered since arriving at Newcastle. He looks a shadow of the powerful attacking midfielder we thought we had signed. He doesn’t contribute enough going forward, goals or assists wise, and struggles in a deeper role. With a number 10 surely another priority for Rafa to source in the New Year, Diame could be surplus to requirements. He still has a good reputation for a Championship side to sign, with Aston Villa and a reunion with Steve Bruce mooted.

Jesus Gamez

Gamez came in for our away win at Swansea and looked very assured at left back. But like his overall stay on Tyneside, has not been trusted in the side really since. His contract expires in the summer and at 32, you would be surprised if it was renewed. He is reportedly one of our higher earners, so a low transfer to get him off the wage bill in the New Year may suit all parties; especially with Dummett back and fit.

Only one striker would be sold, but this lot could raise at least £30m – a considerable amount to be spent on improving our starting 11 when you consider that most of the above have had little impact on the first team this season.

Is there anyone else you would move on to raise funds?

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

56 thoughts on “SIX players Rafa could sacrifice to raise funds for January spending

  1. Utter madness to sell Gayle. He’s the only one who looks like scoring recently. It’s just a shame he’s not getting many chances during the games.

    On another note, I see the Mail are reporting Jabba will accept £300m. FFS! These rags will write anything…

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  2. Colback will probably go too. Personally I’d keep Mbemba and we’d have to have a new goalie to consider letting Darlow go. I’d sell Elliott in preference. Getting those off the books along with the waste of space that is Joselu would top up the £20m that’s been mooted already from one of the PL payments.
    Here’s my wish list:
    Kevin Gameiro from Atletico – £20 -£25m
    Pepe Reina – £6m
    Loan Hatem Ben Arfa and Danny Ings.
    They would considerably improve our team.

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  3. georgio:
    Colback will probably go too. Personally I’d keep Mbemba and we’d have to have a new goalie to consider letting Darlow go. I’d sell Elliott in preference. Getting those off the books along with the waste of space that is Joselu would top up the £20m that’s been mooted already from one of the PL payments.
    Here’s my wish list:
    Kevin Gameiro from Atletico – £20 -£25m
    Pepe Reina – £6m
    Loan Hatem Ben Arfa and Danny Ings.
    They would considerably improve our team.

    agree

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  4. Stuart79:
    Utter madness to sell Gayle. He’s the only one who looks like scoring recently. It’s just a shame he’s not getting many chances during the games.

    On another note, I see the Mail are reporting Jabba will accept £300m. FFS! These rags will write anything…

    I can see why you’d think that, but we’d only be getting rid of him to fund a move for a striker Rafa considers to be much better? Benitez knows he doesn’t fit into his 4-2-3-1 system in the PL..

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  5. Stuart, mate. When you are in Perth can you see if anybody agrees with me:

    1. Fck the Police non-charges. Get Stokes to Aus.

    2. Need more right handers. Get in Foakes to keep wicket and move Jonny B up the order. Put him in the slips.

    3. If Ali is not fit (finger) do not play him. Whoever the other spinner is, play him or have Root toss a few down and play an extra seamer – he can’t be worse than Ali in his present condition.

    4. We will probably lose anyway because we do not have a genuine quick and 1-3 have a tendency to get themselves out under Aussie conditions (actually under any conditions, including Cook recently 🙂 ).

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  6. Got sick of the takeover BS so had to change the subject 🙂 Will be a hard game against Leicester. Draw.

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  7. Olly Hawkins: I can see why you’d think that, but we’d only be getting rid of him to fund a move for a striker Rafa considers to be much better? Benitez knows he doesn’t fit into his 4-2-3-1 system in the PL..

    Olly – I agree mate. If selling Gayle raises the funds to bring in someone like Tosun or a player with greater quality, then so be it. Fulham seemed mad keen in the summer so they may well come back.

    I personally would keep Mbemba. I’d like to keep & give Mitro a chance, but clearly Rafa doesn’t want him regardless – so he’s out.
    I think Colback will be on the out list, but I think it will be Saviet rather than Diame.

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  8. Grumpy Bullfrog, and formerly-known-as-LEGEND by The Chronic, Mick Quinn says we should loan Fernando Torres. Has he watched any La Liga? Torres is way past his best. He has a few nice flicks but doesn’t score. He is a slightly improved version of Joselu at this point.

    He also says Sturridge on loan. If we can get him!!! Would Fatty sanction 120k a week and would Liverpool subsidize his wages for NUFC when another team like Palace would probably pay the full whack if they thought he would guarantee safety.

    Mick Quinn is an idiot.

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  9. I think the most likely loan is Ings. Much lower wages than Sturridge. Currently not really in the Liverpool picture and doesn’t suit their style of play. Liverpool may want to be nice to Rafa given his past service.

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  10. Icedog:
    Tosun not playing tonight he’s on the bench,why risk him when they are already qualified I suppose

    I don’t there is any way they sell him unless they get 40 mil plus. Maybe not even then as there is another showcase for his talent in at least 2 more CL games. Juve are also said to be interested.

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  11. Sorry Olly: I read the Quinn article in The Chronic and thought it was all absolute bollocks. Then I saw later you had said the same thing 🙂 And about Ings.

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  12. On another of Olly’s articles quoting journos? We would have to be mad to send Aarons on loan. The alternatives:

    Ritchie: a very good player and hard worker. Seems to have gone off the boil a bit probably BECAUSE he has been asked to work so hard for the team.

    Murphy: as raw as Aarons. Probably only ahead of him because of the price tag.

    Atsu: only really came on towards the end of last season but looks a decent but limited player. Runs down a few too many blind alleys and currently injured.

    So, by letting Aarons go we would have 3 players to cover 2 positions – one is exhausted, one is raw and one is injured. Who thinks this stuff up?

    You know, it might be good Aarons and his development but it certainly would not be good for NUFC in a relegation battle. Plus, he is still in the first team picture.

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  13. Eric Sykes:
    Sorry Olly: I read the Quinn article in The Chronic and thought it was all absolute bollocks. Then I saw later you had said the same thing ? And about Ings.

    Yeh I’m not rating the ‘legend’s’ two choices one bit in terms of likelihood or suitability – especially when we’re going to have to look at budget buys. Like you say, Ings on loan looks a deal to be done – Pardew wants him at WBA by all accounts mind.

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  14. We will be linked to every England fringe player going this window though – Sturridge, Ing, Whilshire.

    The players not getting game time at their clubs and need it to get into England.

    I would take most of the transfer speculation with a pinch of salt this window. It will be the journos making stories that have an element of sense about them, but little to no truth.

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  15. Eric Sykes:
    Stuart, mate. When you are in Perth can you see if anybody agrees with me:

    1. Fck the Police non-charges. Get Stokes to Aus.

    2. Need more right handers. Get in Foakes to keep wicket and move Jonny B up the order. Put him in the slips.

    3. If Ali is not fit (finger) do not play him. Whoever the other spinner is, play him or have Root toss a few down and play an extra seamer – he can’t be worse than Ali in his present condition.

    4. We will probably lose anyway because we do not have a genuine quick and 1-3 have a tendency to get themselves out under Aussie conditions (actually under any conditions, including Cook recently ? ).

    Go next Tuesday.

    I agree with Stokes, he needs to get out there and the reaso. He isn’t is because they ECB are scared of the virtue signalling from the snowflakes.

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  16. What did Stokes do but punch somebody. There must be 10,000 others who did that on the same night who aren’t denied a means of earning their living. Nonsense from both the police and the ECB.

    Back to reality. We really do need points from these two games. In fact if it hadn’t been for a large stroke of luck against Liverpool and Palace we’d already be in the bottom 3. 🙄

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  17. We can put out a decent team on Saturday if Rafa chooses to pick it:

    Darlow

    Manquillo Lascelles Lejuene Mbemba

    Shelvey Mereno

    Ritchie Mitro Murphy

    Gayle

    If Dummett is fit, Rafa could pick him, or Atsu over Murphy. It wouldn’t change the shape or quality that much IMO.

    Everybody played in their proper positions, except Mbemba out of necessity if Dummy is not fit.

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  18. We also know it will not be Mitro, it will be Perez. He might play the others though. Leicester are a good team but we have to go for it because it does not get any easier.

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  19. Olly: it happened again. I came up with almost the same team without having read your article (I don’t even know if I posted above BEFORE your article). Only difference was I would rather have Manquillo. That said, I don’t think it is a matter of “great minds…” I think it is a common thought amongst a lot of NUFC fans that – play Lascelles if fit, Mitro should get a chance, Shelvey and Moreno in the middle, play players in their natural positions.

    Same with yesterday and Legend Bullfrog’s ridiculous loan suggestions. Anybody in their right mind would think they were stupid.

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  20. You see, he looks like a bullfrog because his head is now wider than it is high. How did that happen?

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  21. And, I always thought that Merson looked like somebody had drawn a face on a balloon, now I am wavering. He still has that oval head where there is no discernable neck and his face fades into his shirt. However, with the multiplying of those bumps and growths on his face he is now becoming a potato. Russet, I think. Rooney has the copyright on that though.

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  22. The Chronic have an interview with Adam Armstrong. They say Bolton are playing him on the left wing mainly. Nevertheless, he only has 1 league goal. This surprises me a bit. I wasn’t sure he would make the grade at PL level but I thought he would be double digits Championship at least (over a full season)because of what he did at Cov and England. I hope it works out for him, but it is starting to look ominous that he could be the next over-hypted, next-big-thing that never-will-be.

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  23. kimtoon:
    russet is an apple, **** fine one too, ugly but sweet as.

    Kimtoon: Russet is a potato over here. Usually has a lot of eyes and nobbly bits.

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  24. Aye meeting took place between Amanda and jabba on we’d,I said the other day something was going on

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  25. Big Sam sent full res team to play in Europe while he worked with first team,going to be hard nut to crack when we play them

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  26. You can just imagine how the negotiations went can’t you?!

    Ashley – if you can neck a vindaloo and down 10 pints quicker than me, you can have the club for £250m ?

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  27. Nevertheless it is encouraging that the two met at all. Why would they want to meet in public if it was just a publicity stunt? Why delay a trip to USA to have the meeting? My guess is that it was all about the impending January spending. Who will pay to keep the club in the PL? How will that affect the price?
    Still lots of questions but definitely encouraging.

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  28. I think he will sell now. I also think that regardless of when he sells, we will get 1 or 2 additions in January that will give us a better chance to stay up. Convincing good players to come will be difficult – but if an agreement in principle is made with Staveley, Rafa may be able to use her blueprint and a relegation clause as a lever to convince people this place is going to be coming alive very soon…

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  29. Leicester have won 1 and drawn 4 of their last 5 away games. Would we be happy with a draw to stop the rot, as it were? Or, do we have to win because we have a tough run of fixtures and we really need 20 points before City to remain calm?

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  30. I know everybody says take it one game at a time but fck it I am not the Manager. Why do we play on the 27th? Aren’t the games traditionally on Boxing Day? Is it for Sky? I bet it is.

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  31. Eric Sykes:
    I know everybody says take it one game at a time but fck it I am not the Manager. Why do we play on the 27th? Aren’t the games traditionally on Boxing Day? Is it for Sky? I bet it is.

    yep, spot on 7.45pm kick off

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  32. There are 2 other big games for us this weekend:

    Huddersfield vs Brighton: I think one of these teams will go down. A draw would be good but a win for either would put the other in trouble. Their form is almost as bad as ours.

    Swansea vs West Brom: Although I hate to pull for Pards a West Brom win would be good for us. You know that Arrogant Alan will keep them up and then go into a tailspin, so why not put Swansea in deeper ****. Then they would sack their Manager and have who replace him? All of the English has-beens are now taken so it might be another Bob Bradley fiasco. The more doomed teams the better for us.

    Everton are now safe with the even more arrogant one in charge. He will not let Rooney run the show. I never thought Rooney was absolute bollocks by the way, just way overrated by press and former colleagues in his current guise. His main problem is that he pulls the shape of the team apart but I doubt Fat Sam will stand for that.

    Of the other managers hired, they do have past merits. It is a question of whether time has moved on for Moyes and Mr. Roy. I hope so.

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  33. Oh, and about 1 game in 3 Rooney will look like he has never kicked a football before and the ball will bounce off him every time he touches it. Then, 1 game in 10 he will do something reminiscent of when he was 20 and all his Pals and the media will say they told us so.

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  34. Despite being in a poor side, Rooney is still in the top 10 PL scorers, with an assist as well – so far out performing the likes of Vardy and Fermino. No bad for a potato.

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  35. shamrock:
    Despite being in a poor side, Rooney is still in the top 10 PL scorers, with an assist as well – so far out performing the likes of Vardy and Fermino. No bad for a potato.

    Have you watched him play though. He was pulling the team apart. You know me by now Shamrock, I exaggerate to get my point over. I still think he has been a liability in quite a few matches and even more so at Man U. I hate to say it, but Fat Sam will get the best out of him and Everton will finish about 8th. I fancy Watford or Leicester to pip them for 7th.

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  36. shamrock:
    Despite being in a poor side, Rooney is still in the top 10 PL scorers, with an assist as well – so far out performing the likes of Vardy and Fermino. No bad for a potato.

    Everton are not a poor side. They were trying to play with 3 number 10s and Koeman was letting Rooney come back and get the ball at the half way line and do his signature ping it 35 yards cross field pass, disrupting any forward momentum and ensuring there was nobody up field to get the ball. When they played like that they were a poor side!

    As usual, I was more annoyed at how the pundits had built them up than anything else. I know that is my bugaboo and probably always will be.

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  37. Just read The Mail (I know, I know) and they were discussing the 10 most likely January moves. Said West Ham were showing interest in Sturridge but that Liverpool had also received enquiries for Ings and Solanke. Both Olly and me had earlier poured scorn on Legend Bullfrog’s suggestion that we should get Sturridge. However, I would say it would be 50/50 Sturridge to West Ham and that will probably scupper any NUFC move for Ings. I know I am being pessimistic, but I just have a feeling…

    On what planet is Van Djik worth 75 million? That’s the value The Mail are putting on him. I think Liverpool already offered 65 million. That is insanity. Wouldn’t that make him the most expensive defender of all time?

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  38. The Mail are also putting Barklay’s value at 15 mil because of his contract situation. He is worth a punt at that price for someone, not us. We have a giant number 10 shaped hole but he wouldn’t come.

    Pity though. He plays well 1 in 3 games, and believed his own hype. But that is really all we need to stay up – win 1 in 3 and a few draws.

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  39. My team for tomorrow would be

    ——————- Darlow ——————
    Yedlin — Lejeune — Clark — Manq
    —————— Hayden ——————-
    —— Shelvey ———- Merino ———
    Ritchie —————————- Murphy
    —————-—- Gayle ———————

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  40. Sharpy17:
    My team for tomorrow would be

    ——————- Darlow ——————
    Yedlin — Lejeune — Clark — Manq
    —————— Hayden ——————-
    —— Shelvey ———- Merino ———
    Ritchie —————————- Murphy
    —————-—- Gayle ———————

    Lascelles is supposed to be available. I think he will be picked after 3 against Watford, 4 Man U and 3 Chelsea.

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  41. Eric Sykes: Lascelles is supposed to be available. I think he will be picked after 3 against Watford, 4 Man U and 3 Chelsea.

    Eric – I didn’t realise that mate, if that’s right then I’d probably go with him over Lejeune – providing he’s fit, coz Leceister have pace up front.

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  42. Sharpy: I think we should try that formation. As much as I would like to see Rafa give Mitro a go, it seems like it isn’t going to happen. Having a holding midfielder with 2 creative midfielders is something we haven’t tried. Plus Moreno can stick his foot in. If we play Shelvey, we shouldn’t let him get exposed. We would still have pace up front with Murphy and Gayle.

    Just make sure Ritchie is not at left back !!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  43. Sharpy: although I agree with the formation, I disagree with some players you picked and where they play (besides Lascelles who you didn’t know is now fit). I think we should play our best players in their correct positions. That means Manqillo at right back because Yedlin has been a bit gung ho. Mbemba at left back because he has played best there out of all of them even though he is not a natural left back.

    No Joselu and no Diame, because they are not even in the best 18 never mind 11 so should not be picked.

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