Newcastle United have been rocked by another exit rumour, with an "unbelievable" fourth player believed to be in talks to join a European club.
Trippier, Wilson and Almiron linked with exits
The Magpies have seen some shock transfer news emerge in recent days, with a number of influential figures strongly linked with moves away from St James' Park. Kieran Trippier is wanted by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, with the 33-year-old potentially leaving Newcastle on a permanent basis, in what would come as a huge surprise.
The England international is thought to be open to the idea of enjoying a fresh challenge, and the Magpies' financial situation could force them into key sales, in order to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP).
Meanwhile, Callum Wilson is another player whose exit from St James' has been mooted, with Atletico Madrid keen on signing the striker on loan for the remainder of the season and AC Milan also in the mix. While the 31-year-old has been injury-plagued at times this season, he remains an important player for Eddie Howe, scoring seven goals in as many starts in the Premier League in 2023/24 to date.
Seeing both Trippier and Wilson depart during the January transfer window would be such a strange situation for Newcastle fans to witness, and reports on Monday suggest even Miguel Almiron could follow them too, linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab, in what is becoming quite a bizarre couple of weeks on Tyneside.
Jamaal Lascelles also in talks to leave Newcastle
It looks as though another experienced head also be on the move, with Sabah [via Sport Witness] claiming that Besiktas have held talks with Newcastle centre-back Jamaal Lascelles over the move to the club.
The Turkish side want to sign him for a "small amount" before the end of the month, but the Magpies are yet to respond "positively", preferring to keep hold of him instead. The player himself is still weighing up his future, with his current deal expiring this summer.
This is a tricky one for Lascelles, who will no doubt want to be a regular moving forward at a club, which is something that Howe can't promise him when everyone is fit. Newcastle have been linked with various centre-back of late, suggesting the manager wants a long term partner for Sven Botman, so it seems unlikely that the 30-year-old is seen as a future starter.
That being said, the Englishman is someone who has been a great servant and captain – one who still has plenty to offer – and Howe said of him last year:
"He's been an unbelievable captain for us. Captaincy doesn't just exist on the pitch, it has to exist off the pitch. The two things are so intrinsically linked. A lot of our success last year wasn't just down to the team, it came down to a group of players giving everything on and off the pitch."
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At 30, Lascelles isn't getting any younger, and if he doesn't get the long-term deal he craves at Newcastle, moving on at the end of the season on a free transfer makes sense. The Magpies could want a fee for him, however, given their FFP problems, which would only happen if they let him leave this month.