Decisions to make for Howe over Toon signings
MUCH has been made of who Eddie Howe may seek to bring in during the summer transfer market but the Newcastle United boss also has big decisions to make over a number of returning stars when the season comes to a close.
Ten Newcastle options are either approaching the end of their temporary stints away from Tyneside or have recently returned following the conclusion of football lower down the pyramid.
Some are destined to depart in the coming months, while others will be holding out hope for a crack at first-team football during preseason.
The most successful loan stint of the season is undeniably Yankuba Minteh’s spell at Feyenoord. Newcastle signed the highly-rated winger from Danish side Odense last summer before swiftly shipping him off to the Netherlands to gain vital first-team experience.
Minteh’s Feyenoord career got off to a slow start but the 19-year-old may well end up staying at the club next season given their eagerness to extend the loan deal. Howe is poised to assess the youngster’s development during pre-season.
At the opposite end of the Eredivise table, fellow Newcastle attacker Garang Kuol has endured another tricky period away from St James’ Park. Another teenager signed by the Magpies with such promise, the Australian just hasn’t found his feet at either Scottish side Hearts or Dutch outfit Volendam.
Kuol left Central Coast Mariners in his native Australia with the world at his feet. Months later he was at the 2022 World Cup with his country. Now he is facing a crossroads in Newcastle career as his next move is mapped out.
Kuol made 17 appearances for Volendam in all competitions but the club have struggled all season and were relegated over the weekend after a heavy loss to Ajax. With time on his side at 19, however, Kuol may still come good.
Closer to home, two of Newcastle’s full-backs are ready to say goodbye to their respective Championship clubs – Harrison Ashby at Swansea and Jamal Lewis at Watford.
Neither player has really found their feet at Newcastle thus far but, for Ashby, there has also been hope he will come good following his exciting move from West Ham United.
For Lewis, who has struggled to stay fit in a black and white shirt, the end looks near. The Northern Ireland international has at least managed to stay fit for the majority of the campaign, and will no doubt fancy another crack at impressing Howe over the summer. However, with Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall excelling this season, both Ashby and Lewis may not have a future in Newcastle’s defence.
One player who definitely does not have a future under Howe is Southampton’s Ryan Fraser. The pair fell out in 2023 and the attacker subsequently joined Southampton on loan.
The Saints are in the Championship play-offs and could still sign Fraser permanently this summer. The player is keen on such a move.
Matthew Bondswell was once seen as a talent potentially capable of bursting through the youth ranks into Howe’s plans before a period
of loan spells away from the club. Currently at Newport County, the 22-year-old former RB Leipzig star is facing an uncertain future with his first-team ambitions now looking a long way off.
The same can be said for Kell Watts. Once thought of as a possible centre-back option under Howe, the fellow defender has spent the season on loan at Wigan Athletic. His Newcastle contract expires in the summer.
Rodrigo Vilca, who has spent the season on loan at Serbian SuperLiga side FK Vozdovac, is another out of contract in the summer. Michael Ndiweni, currently at Annan Athletic, and Dylan Stephenson, recently at South Shields, are also running out of time to nail down a place on Tyneside.