4 First Team Players Reportedly Set To Leave Newcastle United This Week as Summer Rebuild Begins

As part of an overhaul of his senior squad, manager Rafa Benitez has told a number of periphery squad figures they could leave, and four players look set to do just that.

Massaido Haidara, Jesus Gamez, Chancel Mbemba and Matz Sels all appear to be set to depart St. James’ Park for pastures new.

While Newcastle don’t appear to be going into this summer window with an explicitly stated “sell before you buy” instruction – the club have signed goalkeeper Martin Dubravka already – that ethos is never too far away on Tyneside.

There is a lot of deadwood in Newcastle’s senior squad, and Benitez will be desperate to offload some of those that are not needed to help free up some space and reduce the wage bill.

If players can be sold to generate some extra funds for the transfer kitty, then it will be an added bonus to the Spaniard.

Haidara and Gamez both see their contracts run out this summer, and so will be exiting the club on free transfers, but free up significant wage sums with their departures.

Former Atletico Madrid full back Gamez is not known to have another club to go to, but officially announced his exit on social media earlier in the week, whilst Haidara is reportedly set to join Lens, according to the Chronicle.

Neither has managed to lock down a spot in Benitez’s team and have significantly lacked game time during their spells at Newcastle.

Sels and Mbemba are both reportedly set to join Belgian club Anderlecht – where Mbemba joined Newcastle from in 2015 – as part of a £9m double-deal.

Sels has this season out on loan at the Belgian club as they finished second in the league, behind Club Brugge.

Mbemba, meanwhile, has remained on Tyneside but barely featured – understood to be due to a mistrust from Benitez over the player’s ability to follow his strict and complex instructions during games.

While nothing has been confirmed on behalf of the Anderlecht deal, it looks increasingly likely the four players will be leaving St. James’ Park in the very near future