Newcastle United contracts speculation is big fat red herring | OneFootball

I have seen the subject of Newcastle United contracts come up again.

Eddie Howe recently asked about it a press conference.

The Newcastle United Head Coach quizzed about it, with regard to players who don’t have much time remaining on their deals.

There are actually nine players who see their Newcastle United contracts expire in just over nine months time.

So unless anything happens in the meantime, these nine will out of contract at the end of June 2025 and become free agents.

When Eddie Howe was asked about the Newcastle United contracts situation as things currently stand, he had this to say:

“If you go back to the Joelinton situation, when his contract was getting to a delicate time, there was a real determination to agree a new deal.

“Losing players on free transfers is not something that we want to be doing as a football club.

“For many different reasons.

“Probably the biggest is, it is a distraction for the players.

“I don’t think players tend to play well when they start running their contracts down, into that last year.

“It becomes a very uncertain time for them.

“We want the players at their best.

“We want to protect the asset value of the individual player as well.

“To replace any player that is in and around our squad, is going to cost us a lot of money.

“So we have got to be very careful with those decisions.

“I’m slightly detached from that (contract negotiations with players), so I can’t really give any details, but I think it is something that is always on the club’s mind.

“In the respect of making sure that we protect the long-term interests of the club with the players’ contracts.

“We don’t want to get into difficult situations.

“That work (on Newcastle United contracts) is always ongoing.”

The journalists and fans who are trying to make a big deal of this, are on the wrong track in my opinion.

There is absolutely no need for any panic on the Newcastle United contracts situation as things stand.

A big fat red herring in my opinion (The definition of which is ‘A clue or piece of information that is, or is intended to be, misleading or distracting’).

Eddie Howe is always Mr Diplomatic.

Unlike certain managers we have had in the past, Eddie treats everybody with respect, he doesn’t talk any players down. Which is how it should be.

The reality, in private, within the corridors of power at St James’ Park (and at the training ground), it will be a very different story. I am not of course saying that Eddie Howe will be slagging anybody off, quite the opposite. However, when it comes down to the harsh reality of Newcastle United contracts, the NUFC boss will be more than ready to look at things purely from the club’s perspective, sentiment won’t figure at all. Which is how it should be. Every decision taken on a player, whether with regard to contracts or anything else, Eddie Howe will do whatever is in the best interests of the football club.

As for Eddie Howe saying he is a bit ‘detached’ from any ongoing contractual discussions, that of course will be the case. However, you would have to be pretty naive if you thought the club didn’t absolutely know what Eddie Howe wants to happen, when it comes to Newcastle United contracts with the various players.

The Head Coach will have made clear exactly who he wants to keep and who he is happy to let go, how long he thinks new contract offers should be for those who he wants to keep, especially more ‘mature’ players. Then for those Eddie Howe wants to get new contracts, extended contracts, it is then up to others at the club to negotiate with the agents of the player(s) to see if a deal can be reached.

Eddie Howe references Joelinton when talking about players ending up with not long left on their contracts, however, the key NUFC midfielder who signed a big new extended contract earlier this year at the age of 27 at that time, is a million miles away from what we are talking about here. With Joelinton, Newcastle United had to for starters be protecting themselves against losing an asset worth tens of millions of pounds and who has been an automatic starter under Eddie Howe. Plus more/just as importantly, still with his best days ahead of him. The same when a 25 year old Bruno Guimaraes agreed a new long contract early last season, despite at the time still having best part of three years remaining on his then current deal.

These are the nine players currently still on Newcastle United’s books, who see their current contracts end on 30 June 2025::

Dubravka, Schar, Wilson, Burn, Lascelles, Krafth, Gillespie, Ruddy, Lewis

Lewis has already effectively left Newcastle United, going on loan for a year to play in Brazil. It is also widely accepted that both Gillespie and Ruddy won’t be kept on after this current season (and respective contracts).

For the other half dozen, if they stayed on at Newcastle United, during next season they would each respectively turn Dubravka (37), Schar (34), Wilson (34), Burn (34), Lascelles (32) and Krafth would turn 31 on 2 August before heading into next season.

They have all given great service to Newcastle United to varying degrees and I have no doubt at least one or two of them will continue to do so, at least into next season.

However, time catches up with us all.

Put it this way, I think none of these six would be in the first eleven next season, if still at the club.

Even Fabian Schar will surely find himself behind Marc Guehi or A N Other by that point.

So then it becomes and indeed already is in most of these cases, taking everything into account, including/especially their age, how big a chunk of a limited available wage bill, can be dedicated to any particular player, if indeed Eddie Howe wants them to get a new contract?

As I said earlier, Eddie Howe will never publicly talk anybody down, including saying that they are on their last legs and won’t be needed in the near future.

In any case, most of (if not all?) these half dozen senior players who see their contracts run out in nine months time, have in the recent past been happy to just have another one year added to their existing deals. So I am sure that if offered the chance to do so again, the likes of Burn, Schar and Lascelles would do the same again.

Panic over.

How the Newcastle United contracts situation currently looks (via official club releases and media reports), when current deals end :

End of June 2025:

Dubravka, Schar, Wilson, Burn, Lascelles, Krafth, Gillespie, Ruddy, Lewis

End of June 2026:

Targett, Pope, Almiron, Longstaff, Ashby, Hayden, Trippier

End of June 2027:

Botman, Jacob Murphy, Willock

End of June 2028: