With the rumour mill in full swing, Newcastle have been linked with a number of players – from QPR’s Charlie Austin to Viking FC’s Veton Berisha. However, the rumours of the Magpies looking to sell or loan out players have been few and far between, despite many expecting a significant clearout this summer.
Three members of our writing team (Thomas Bore, Marcus Shearer and Robert Sharpe) sat down with Michael Oliver – the editor for our sister site www.readwestham.com – to discuss who Newcastle should look to sell this summer and who should be kept at all costs.
Rolando Aarons
Marcus: Keep!
Michael: Keep.
Robert: Keep.
Thomas: Keep. Not much to discuss on that one.
Mehdi Abeid
Marcus: Keep!
Michael: Keep.
Robert: Keep.
Thomas: Keep. Don’t understand why we would even consider letting him go.
Marcus: He can only improve, but needs a solid run in the team alongside Colback or Anita to develop.
Robert: Exactly, needs a chance. Him and Colback could be very solid.
Sammy Ameobi
Michael: Release.
Thomas: Let him go. I don’t even think we need to replace him with Ince – we would still have Aarons, Gouffran and Marveaux.
Robert: Release.
Marcus: Keep, Newcastle isn’t Newcastle without an Ameobi in the ranks. I’d personally have him play up top mind if anywhere, seems wasted on the wing.
Michael: Ameobi up top? Genuinely better off without playing a striker. He’d be a hinderance.
Marcus: If he bulked up a bit he would be at least a handful.
Vurnon Anita
Robert: Sell.
Michael: Keep, just because he’s versatile.
Thomas: Keep, a decent back up at centre mid and either full-back position. Could be a useful squad player.
Marcus: Keep, just. He’ll improve and work better under McClaren than he did with Pardew, or Carver, but that’s taken as read.
Robert: I suppose we really should not be selling anyone who has any value at all right now.
Thomas: He’s an odd one. He doesn’t really offer anything exceptional in any position, but he can play so many that he becomes useful.
Adam Armstrong
Michael: Loaned out.
Thomas: Loaned out.
Robert: Loaned out. I would say to a League One club.
Marcus: Loaned out to a Championship club. SPL clearly doesn’t do squat, look at Adam Campbell.
Thomas: If they can offer first-team football in the Championship then sure.
Remy Cabella
Michael: Keep. You need someone with ability.
Robert: Keep.
Thomas: Keep. He’s shown glimpses of what he’s capable of. I’m sure he’ll make more of an impact next season.
Marcus: Keep and play him in behind Perez – watch them fly!
Papiss Cisse
Michael: Sell. Sign a proper striker. He’s 30 as well. If you’re going to get a return on him, it’s this summer. Get Austin.
Marcus: Sell. He’s a cracking striker but naff footballer, he also has a ridiculous disciplinary record.
Robert: Sell.
Thomas: Keep. Cisse, Austin, Juanmi, Ayoze and Riviere – stuff that dreams are made of.
Michael: Riviere is in noone’s dreams by the way – many people’s nightmares.
Jack Colback
Marcus: Keep!
Robert: Keep, without a single doubt.
Michael: Keep for that England international resale value.
Thomas: Keep.
Fabricio Coloccini
Michael: Sell. He’s a fraud. Replace him with Vlaar on a free.
Thomas: Keep him for one last year, then let him leave on a free.
Robert: Sell, then make Colback captain.
Marcus: Sell. His best days are long gone and he’s becoming a liability. Wanted a move away for a long time.
Siem de Jong
Marcus: Keep and make him captain.
Thomas: Keep. Injury prone but he oozes class.
Robert: Keep and pray he stays healthy.
Michael: Keep.
Paul Dummett
Michael: Sell.
Robert: Keep.
Thomas: Keep.
Marcus: Keep, but for centre-back, not left-back. We need another left-back in this summer, amazingly.
Robert: Agreed, he is a centre-back.
Rob Elliot
Thomas: Sell. He’s not needed with Darlow at the club.
Robert: Sell.
Michael: Sell.
Marcus: Keep. My reasons will become clear later.
Thomas: You’re going to say sell Krul, aren’t you?
Marcus: Wait and see little tree.
Yoan Gouffran
Thomas: Sell.
Michael: Sell.
Robert: Sell.
Marcus: Sell. The guy couldn’t cross a road.
Ayoze Perez
Thomas: Keep.
Michael: Keep.
Robert: Keep.
Marcus: Wrap him in cotton and put him in my Perez cot in my room. First name on the starting eleven every week. Give him the number 9 jersey too.
Massadio Haidara
Michael: Keep.
Robert: Keep.
Thomas: Keep. He’d be my first choice left-back.
Marcus: Keep, seeing as we have no other left-backs on the book.
Robert: He is literally the only choice.
Marcus: But shouldn’t ideally.
Michael: Should be Santon.
Daryl Janmaat
Michael: Keep.
Marcus: Keep.
Robert: Keep.
Thomas: Keep.
Tim Krul
Marcus: Sell.
Thomas: So I was right earlier on.
Robert: Sell. We’ll get better money than we should.
Michael: Keep.
Thomas: Keep.
Sylvain Marveaux
Michael: Sell.
Marcus: Sell. He won’t be missed.
Robert: Sell.
Thomas: Keep. Him and Aarons fighting for the left midfield spot in the first-team would be good.
Marcus: He’s been blacklisted by the club. I can’t see him hanging about.
Thomas: I’m hoping the change of manager may persuade him to stay.
Gabriel Obertan
Michael: Sell.
Marcus: Sell.
Thomas: Unless the board see any point in replacing a back-up right midfielder, keep.
Robert: Keep.
Marcus: I’d rather have Sissoko or Cabella down the right, or even Sammy.
Thomas: I’d keep Sissoko in the middle and Obertan’s better than Sammy.
Robert: Until he got injured, he looked decent.
Marcus: Sammy will get and be better than Gabby.
Emmanuel Riviere
Marcus: Keep. I like him. A big centre-forward who does a bit of pressing. He can hit them from outside the box too.
Thomas: Keep. A different kind of player to those we’ve been linked with.
Robert: Can only get better than last year.
Marcus: He needs a partner up top with him mind. Perez or De Jong?
Michael: Sell.
Thomas: In the Premier League, you need a player like Riviere for them games where you sit back and defend – you need an outlet to counter attack.
Marcus: Stoke away.
Moussa Sissoko
Marcus: Sell the mercenary, he goes missing too often.
Robert: Sell. Clearly wants away, if not now eventually.
Thomas: Keep. He’ll play up this season to get a call up for the Euros, then sell him next summer.
Michael: Keep.
Marcus: Play him where?
Michael: Sissoko is arguably your best player. You make room for him. There’s no debate.
Thomas: The same position he played for the past season.
Marcus: I still maintain he bottles big games too often. Liverpool away, Arsenal matches, derbies. His heart is not on Tyneside, and he’s even putting himself in the shop window.
Robert: We will get a solid chunk of cash. Ideally, reinvest it for something we need more.
Steven Taylor
Thomas: Keep. He gets a little carried away at times but still one of our better defenders.
Marcus: Keep.
Michael: Sell.
Robert: Keep.
Marcus: He’s an idiot, but he clearly plays for the shirt and is better than Coloccini and Williamson. Lascelles and Dummett/Taylor as partnership next season.
Michael: Get Vlaar on a free. Everyone’s happy.
Thomas: Lascelles wouldn’t start for me. Bring in Van Dijk, Chester, Abdennour (I wish).
Robert: Would love to have Van Dijk.
Marcus: His potential on FIFA goes up to 88. Jamaal has to start based on that alone.
Cheick Tiote
Thomas: The unpopular opinion I reckon, but I would keep him.
Robert: Sell.
Marcus: This is a toughie. Before Steve came in, I’d have said sell. But now, hmm. Worked with him before, may bring the best out of him again.
Michael: Keep.
Robert: Would rather go with Colback and Abeid.
Marcus: Yeah, I’d prefer Colback and Abeid/Anita.
Michael: Just because he won’t start doesn’t mean he needs to be sold.
Marcus: If he doesn’t start, he won’t want to stick around. He’ll kick up a stinker.
Robert: If he doesn’t start, he can be more useful for the fee he will bring in.
Haris Vuckic
Michael: Sell.
Thomas: Sell. He’s had chances before and failed to impress.
Marcus: Sell. He’s found his level in the Scottish Championship.
Robert: Sell.
Mike Williamson
Marcus: *bursts into laughter*
Michael: Sell.
Thomas: Do we need to respond to this one?
Marcus: Last but by no means least. Well. Actually, yes, most definitely least.
Robert: I really, really hope Leeds take him off our hands.
Thomas: Could you imagine?
Marcus: If the answer is Mike Williamson, what is the question Leeds are asking?
Thomas: Leeds want a big name apparently. Williamson is a pretty lengthy name.
Marcus: Ten whole letters.
Well, that’s it! Thank you for joining us. If you disagree with any of our choices, let us know. Leave a comment below or tweet us @GallowgateGroup.
