Newcastle United could be set for a new arrival at St James' Park this summer, but there won't be anyone joining the first-team or even the coaching staff under boss Eddie Howe.
The Magpies are looking to replace their Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth, with the 53-year-old currently on gardening leave amid interest from Manchester United, who are looking to overhaul their staff behind the scenes.
It was reported a couple of months ago that Ashworth confirmed his desire to join the Red Devils, but there is no deal in place for him to leave the club and join up with Erik ten Hag's side.
Despite this, the Daily Mail confirmed that Crystal Palace man Dougie Freedman is on the Magpies' final shortlist to replace Ashworth – with United also interested in tempting the 49-year-old to Old Trafford.
The former Palace striker was present at Selhurst Park in midweek, as Newcastle fell to a 2-0 defeat against the Eagles, with members of the Magpies hierarchy, including co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi also in attendance.
Freedman has gained a fantastic reputation for his domestic dealings in the transfer market, recommending the likes of Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, with the trio set to make the club a lot of money after their successive stints at the club – the latter duo mooted to depart for £60m plus each.
There's no denying, that despite the investment from the Saudi PIF, the Magpies squad needs an overhaul, with the Palace chief fitting the bill, especially given his recent successes in the market.
That being said, here are three players who Freedman could send packing immediately, should he take over the Sporting Director role at St James' Park…
1 Callum Wilson
Striker Callum Wilson has often had to settle as Newcastle's second-choice option behind Alexander Isak, understandable given the Swede's record of 21 goals in all competitions so far this campaign.
The former Bournemouth forward has only featured 23 times this season and just three times in 2024, managing to score on eight occasions.
He made his return from injury off the bench in midweek, but he was unable to make any impact and turn the game into the Magpies' favour after Jean-Philippe Mateta's double.
Wilson has undoubtedly been a fantastic servant to the club since his £20m from Bournemouth back in 2020, scoring 46 times in 105 appearances for the club, but he's been unable to showcase his talents this season after his constant injury issues.
He's been sidelined by two different hamstring issues, whilst a calf injury saw him miss a further two months, before suffering a chest injury upon his return in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest in February.
The striker, who earns a reported £46k-per-week, as per Capology, is now 32 years old and his constant setbacks this season have prevented the forward from putting consistent runs together in the first-team – with his longest run of games without injury being just a lowly six.
He only has one year left on his current deal at the club, with Wilson turning 33 before the end of next season. That being said, Freedman should look to move him on this summer to avoid losing him for nothing, with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal previously linked with a move for the forward.
2 Miguel Almiron
After his sensational goalscoring run during last season, which saw the attacker score eight goals in just nine Premier League games, Miguel Almiron has failed to replicate any of his good form under Howe this campaign.
He's featured 29 times in the Premier League this campaign, scoring on just three occasions – and like Wilson, has struggled for fitness during key parts of the season.
The Paraguayan suffered a knee injury in the sensational comeback win against West Ham United and has failed to feature since, with the attacker missing the last four league outings.
With the club undoubtedly looking to strengthen this summer, Almiron may find himself a victim of the club's huge investment, losing his first-team spot, but potentially being sold altogether.
Almiron, who earns £60k-per-week at St James' Park as per Spotrac, was linked with a £30m move to join Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia back in January. Talk surrounding the 30-year-old's potential move to the Middle East came around after Newcastle's current chief executive Darren Eales suggested that the club must sell players before making any major signings due to the constraints of FFP.
The forward – who has also been mooted for an exit this summer – remains under contract at St James' Park until 2026, but Freedman may choose to sell him during the summer after his disappointing campaign, allowing the potential new Sporting Director to work his magic in the window.
3 Yankuba Minteh
Despite only arriving at Newcastle last summer, winger Yankuba Minteh could be set for a move away from Tyneside despite not making a single appearance for the club, as per The Telegraph.
The 19-year-old Gambian has scored nine times and produced five assists in his 25 appearances on loan at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, as he looks to gain valuable first-team experience.
The youngster has scored more goals than Almiron this season, but he could also suffer the same fate as the Paraguayan this summer, with the forward potentially allowing the club to make a quick profit and invest in other areas of the squad.
Minteh, who only earns a reported £4.2k-per-week, as per Capology, has been previously linked with Italian side Napoli ahead of the summer window, but any deal could depend on Freedman's arrival on Tyneside this summer.
He certainly possesses a lot of quality as demonstrated during his stint away from Newcastle this season, but given Freedman's success in identifying brilliant young talents, the Gambian may have to make way to allow the 49-year-old to work his magic at St James' Park.
With £110k-per-week worth of talent there for the Magpies to move on, such funds could be valuable as the club seek to strengthen moving forward.
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