Newcastle United squad limitations laid bare only 19 days before transfer window opens | OneFootball

I have been looking at the Newcastle United squad.

Obviously the massive/only immediate priority is to finish top five and get Champions League football (and cash…) booked in for next season.

However, once the Premier League season ends on Sunday 25 May 2025, attention will immediately switch to the transfer window that opens only seven days later.

Whether or not NUFC get Champions League qualification, will of course have a major impact on just how the summer transfer trading will be approached. So the club have been putting plans together long in advance for all scenarios. Which of the European competitions United will end up in.

However, what is for sure, is that whatever happens in these next couple of weeks, we are going to see some significant additions to this Newcastle United squad in the months ahead.

Going back in time to look forward

I think that to get the best idea of just how bare the Newcastle United squad limitations are currently, we need to look at the position three months ago.

When after the January 2025 transfer window, this was the official 25 man senior Newcastle United squad of players for the remainder of this 2024/25 Premier League season.

That 25 man Newcastle United senior squad announced in early February to take us to the end of this 2024/25 Premier League season:

Goalkeepers

Dubravka, Gillespie, Pope, Ruddy, Vlachodimos

Defenders

Botman, Burn, Krafth, Lascelles, Lewis, Livramento, Schar, Targett, Trippier

Midfielders

Joelinton, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Tonali, Willock

Wingers

Barnes, Gordon, Murphy

Strikers

Isak, Wilson

A few things worth pointing out, for starters.

Back in February, Eddie Howe couldn’t even name a 25 man senior Newcastle United squad for the rest of the season, there were only 24 on the official list.

Once you took away the five keepers, that left 19 senior outfield players, BUT they included Jamal Lewis and Jamaal Lascelles, neither of who were expected to play again this season and haven’t so far (I don’t think there was any chance at all of Lascelles coming on against Chelsea, simply a case of with two keepers and a 17 year old striker on the bench already, the club captain included for non-playing reasons and nobody else available that Eddie Howe would have considered putting on the pitch).

The 24 included Jamal Lewis, who is injured and won’t play again this season before his contract then concludes at the end of the season.

So in reality, Eddie Howe had a maximum of 17 senior outfield players to see out the rest of this season, supplemented by some Under 21 players, with Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley and Will Osula the stand outs.

With Newcastle United hitting busy periods and intense runs of key matches in three competitions, there was some juggling act for Eddie Howe to successfully navigate.

The United boss having had to accept the last three transfer windows with no first eleven contenders brought in, whilst at the same time seeing the departure of the likes of Elliot Anderson, Yankuba Minteh, Miggy Almiron and Lloyd Kelly (into NUFC and then out only seven months later).

Having to work with such a small Newcastle United squad, the Head Coach has been exceptional. Winning the League Cup and now third in the Premier League with two games left to go.

Time now for the Newcastle United squad rebuild

After such a tough time in recent transfer windows, Eddie Howe and the NUFC recruitment team are now ready to cut loose when it comes to getting this Newcastle United squad into shape. Both with added quality via new first team contenders and overall strength in depth.

There are two transfer windows this summer for Premier League clubs, when it comes to the ability to officially sign players. Due to the daft club World Cup there is one that runs from 1 June to 7pm on 10 June, then the main one opens up on 16 June and ends at 7pm on 1 September.

Eddie Howe has already stated that the club will be looking to make early signings and to be fair, I think we will see plenty new faces coming in.

Including Under 21 players, this is how I see the basis of the Newcastle United squad before adding summer additions:

Goalkeepers

Pope, Dubravka

Defenders

Botman, Burn, Hall, Krafth, Livramento, Schar, Trippier

Midfielders

Joelinton, Guimaraes, Miley, Tonali, Willock

Wingers

Barnes, Gordon, Murphy

Strikers

Isak, Osula

These options above would give a basic Newcastle United squad of 19, including 17 outfield players. That of course is including Under 21 players Hall and Miley, Osula will become a senior player (according to Premier League rules) as the cut-off point for Under 21 players next season (additional to your senior 25 man PL squad) will be those born on or after 1 January 2004.

I have kept Dubravka in my list but if as seems very likely a new young keeper comes in, such as James Trafford, then I wouldn’t see Dubravka hanging around as third choice keeper.

Jamal Lewis definitely won’t be at Newcastle next season, goalkeepers Gillespie and Ruddy see their contracts run out this summer and even if staying another season for whatever reasons (help behind the scenes, help with coaching) they won’t be serious first team squad options.

I assume Newcastle will try and sell Vlachodimos on, or potentially he stays as third choice keeper, although I think that first option for sure.

Sean Longstaff looks sure to be sold with a year left on his contract and getting no game time these days. Wilson is out of contract in the summer but potential of another year possibly with a new contract. Matt Targett coming to the final year of his contract and with a horrendous injury and illness record impacting him, I think he now needs to move elsewhere this summer, whilst Lascelles is another in the category of maybe he will see out the final year of his contract, or move for regular football.

Even if keeping a couple of this latter group, the Newcastle United squad is still massively short on numbers, of quality in terms of depth.

This is why I find it astonishing when some Newcastle United fans are so desperate to see the back of somebody like Kieran Trippier and certain others. Any transfer fee for Trippier would be minimal and to just save on his wages, compared to what he can still offer (as proved by recent months) next season, it would be crazy to want rid of somebody with his experience. Indeed, the dream should be to keep the likes of Trippier long-term, have him join the coaching staff and be here for years.

A similar case with Dan Burn for example, although he hopefully still has at least a couple more years as a first team squad player.

A massive strength for me, is that Eddie Howe has so many 30+ experienced players who will all be happy to stay on and be part of this Newcastle United squad next season, even if not guaranteed to be first choice (though I think one or more of them may well be still). Amongst this group of willing 30+ year olds I would include, Burn, Schar, Trippier, Murphy, Pope, Lascelles, Krafth.

Current players I do expect to move out are the likes of Longstaff, Targett, Wilson, Lewis and three or four goalkeepers.

When it comes to signings, I see as a minimum; a goalkeeper, a central defender who can play on the right side, a right winger (who will be versatile and able to play elsewhere as well), a striker (who can also play wide), another midfielder.

At least three of these to instantly be seen as first eleven players, with potentially two or three others seen as at least initially squad players but with scope to develop into first team contenders.

I think next season could also see the first real signs of the far younger long-term signings that have been made these past three years. Heading this up could be two 18 year olds who are regularly training with the first team, right-back Leo Shahar and winger Trevan Sanusi (he’s had an injury impacted season). Hopefully this pair and others pushing to be involved in the domestic cup competitions next season.

Less than three weeks to go then, before we could potentially see the (first!) summer transfer window with an explosive early impact, a bit like Tonali’s goal against Chelsea on Sunday!