Newcastle United have decided to part ways with one of their key men ahead of the new season, it has emerged, as they look to continue their push for Premier League supremacy.
Newcastle United's summer business slow so far
It has been a difficult start to the summer for Eddie Howe's side, with the Premier League's FFP rules forcing them to do more business than they may have liked in the wrong direction.
A need to comply with the regulations before the June 30th deadline saw the Magpies sell highly-rated pair Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
So far, they have only been able to recruit with limited funds too, despite the wealth of the PIF behind the Magpies. Their only signings to date have been Lloyd Kelly and John Ruddy, who arrived on free transfers, and Odysseas Vlachodimos, who moved to St James' Park as part of the deal that took Anderson to Forest.
There is hope that they will be able to add new faces to their ranks before the start of the new season, which sees them take on newly promoted Southampton on the first day of the campaign. As per The Telegraph, the Magpies have been handed a budget of £100m before further sales, with The Athletic previously claiming that the club are looking for "a right-winger and a centre-back, while a forward may also be signed".
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But more outgoings have not been ruled out, and now they appear to have made a decision over one of their stars.
£120k-p/w star set to leave Newcastle
That comes in the shape of regular captain and veteran defender Kieran Trippier, who the club have now decided to sell according to fresh reports.
The defender was Howe's first signing on Tyneside and has gone on to appear 92 times for Newcastle, grabbing four goals and 21 assists in the process and cementing himself as a modern legend at the club.
But he is now 33 years of age and finding himself increasingly sidelined through injury, while he is also down to the final 12 months of his £120,000-a-week deal at the club, a contract that makes him one of the highest earners at St James' Park.
Newcastle United's highest earners (via Capology)
Player
Weekly wage
Bruno Guimaraes
£160,000
Lloyd Kelly
£150,000
Joelinton
£150,000
Alexander Isak
£120,000
Sandro Tonali
£120,000
Kieran Trippier
£120,000
As per reliable reporter Scott Wilson of the Northern Echo, all of this has meant that the defender is "set to leave" this summer, with the club hierarchy, and by extension PIF, "much keener" to sell the defender this summer than they were in January when they turned down an offer from Bayern Munich.
It is added that the defender is "the subject of strengthening interest" from two Saudi Arabian sides, with formal talks "expected" in the coming weeks and the club "looking to engineer a departure".
The move could see Newcastle sign another right back, though they already have the talented Tino Livramento waiting in the wings and it is added that he is now seen as the first choice option, which will likely see him face his old side on the opening day of the campaign.