As the January transfer window draws closer, Newcastle United’s board of directors will have begun drawing up a short-list of potential targets and assessing which players should be the highest priority.
But, according to The Telegraph, Mike Ashley is not so keen to part with more cash in January and will be encouraging Steve McClaren to sell before he buys – much to the dismay of the Geordie faithful, who can see their beloved club desperately needs significant investment.
While fringe players like Yoan Gouffran and Mike Williamson are likely to be the first heading towards the exit door at St James’ Park, only the club’s most valuable players will free up enough funds for McClaren to manoeuvre in the market – but who are Newcastle’s most valuable players?
Many would expect Ayoze Perez and Daryl Janmaat to feature in Newcastle’s top five, but, according to Transfermarkt, neither feature in the club’s nine most valuable players. Their value is based on a number of attributes, including ability, contract length, club stature, but doesn’t necessarily represent how much they would sell for in the transfer market. [For example: Ayoze is valued at £4.9million though Spurs are reportedly interested in spending £15million on the Spaniard.]
Here are Newcastle’s five most valuable players:
