Newcastle United remain in the market for a host of first-team signings, but our attempts to move on a host of fringe men have been complicated by wages dished out by Mike Ashley.
After speaking to a source close to the club’s recruitment team, we’ve been told that Newcastle are looking to cut the current wage bill by around £300,000 per-week to create space for new additions beyond Harvey Barnes and satisfy FFP restrictions around UEFA’s wage to turnover rules.
However, transfer listed players like Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick, Jamal Lewis and Isaac Hayden all earn considerably more than interested parties have been willing to pay. All four have received Championship interest, but with Fraser earning £75,000 per-week, Hendrick taking home £50,000 and Lewis and Hayden earning a similar amount, they will need to take considerable pay cuts to leave the club on a permanent deal.
Fraser and Hendrick won’t train with the first-team this summer and have been told they are not in Eddie Howe’s plans. Their salaries are inflated due to the fact both signed as ‘free agents’ under Steve Bruce; which is often the price you pay when there’s no transfer fee.
These contracts have come back to haunt Newcastle as we look to sell both three years later. If they leave on loan for a Championship side, the club will be forced to pay a high percentage of their wage; as we did when Ciaran Clark (Sheffield United) and Isaac Hayden (Norwich City) sealed temporary moves to the second tier last summer.
Elsewhere, Javier Manquillo will be moved on, with a return to Spain in the pipeline following interest from Getafe and Girona. Karl Darlow has also held talks with Leeds and Bournemouth. Both look set to leave permanently, but Isaac Hayden and Jamal Lewis fall into a similar category as Fraser and Hendrick. Permanent moves would require a wage cut and loan interest would entail Newcastle paying a percentage of their salary, impacting our ability to wipe £300,000 from our current wage bill.
We’ve also been told that Emil Krafth’s future remains up in the air. He’s entering the final 12 months of his current deal and looks unlikely to land a new contract, so he could be moved on later in the window if potential replacement Tino Livramento is brought in from Southampton. The Swede’s recovery from a serious ACL injury could limit interest – he’s unlikely to play any part over pre-season – but it could make sense to create space now and pick up a small fee before he leaves on a free next summer.
