It has been reported that Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is prepared to sell some of this season’s key players if Newcastle gain promotion to the Premier League. This will be to allow the boss to create his own team which he believes has the ability to challenge in the Premier League.

Fan favourite Aleksandar Mitrovic could be one of the players to head for the exit in the summer. The young Serbian could move to clubs in the likes of Germany and Italy which he has already attracted interest from.

Yoan Gouffran held already talks with Lille in the most recent transfer window regarding a potential summer move and may be offered back to the Ligue 1 club in the summer as he is out-of-contract at the end of the season, along with another first team regular Vurnon Anita, who has attracted interest from PSV Eindhoven. Contract talks for the soon-to-be-out-of-contract pair have not moved from preliminary stages which may leave the players open to move elsewhere in the summer.

The boss in January told the club not to allow any clubs to take Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba, Gouffran or Matz Sels from Tyneside in fear of weakening his title bid, although this could all change in the summer with Benitez’s planned summer changes.

Emmanuel Riviere, Henri Saivet, Curtis Good and Sammy Ameobi could also depart this summer, having failed to prove their worth to Rafa.

One player definitely heading an exit from Newcastle is Florian Thauvin, who has triggered a clause in his loan deal to make his move to Marseille permanent.