Newcastle head coach to release key players in bid to compete for European spot

NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe is preparing to wield his Newcastle United axe with a number of key first-team stars at risk of the chop.

Arab News understands that Howe and United will listen to offers for the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron as they look to transform a bottom-half club into one challenging around the Premier League European spots.

Shelvey and Almiron registered 63 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions last season, proving themselves key operators for Newcastle in 2021/22. However, head coach Howe is looking to freshen things up in central midfield and out wide — and with games likely to be limited for Shelvey, as well as Almiron being one of Newcastle’s more saleable assets, both could leave in the summer transfer window.

Former England international Shelvey has been at the club since January 2016 and is one of the longest-serving players in the squad, while when Paraguayan attacker Almiron was signed back from Atlanta United in 2019, the deal broke United’s long-standing transfer record, which had stood since 2005 when Michael Owen put pen to paper on Tyneside.

Prior to that, Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer was the club’s most expensive buy at $18.9 million — a then world transfer record in 1996 — and since then United have shelled out more for Callum Wilson, Chris Wood, Joelinton, and Bruno Guimaraes.

On outgoings this summer, Howe knows he will have to make some tough calls to progress his United side in a summer being touted as one of evolution not revolution.

He said: “There’s some difficult decisions to make and naturally, when you look at the squad, we are top heavy. We have a lot of players, players who missed out on the 25.

“As I said before we’ll make decisions