‘Outstanding’ Newcastle United player set for contract decision after Eddie Howe admission
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Newcastle United latest news: Kieran Trippier is out of contract at the end of the season.
Newcastle United have just eight Premier League matches left to play - then comes some major decisions about how Eddie Howe’s squad will look next season.
One of the biggest decisions the club has to make is regarding who they hand extended contracts to, with their main priority being on whether to hand Kieran Trippier a new deal or not. Trippier has always been a key player during his time on Tyneside, but his role in the squad has been made even more significant in recent weeks as injuries bite elsewhere in defence.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man has just a few months left on his current deal and revealed earlier this month that he has no plans on retiring from the game: “I’m far from done as a player! I think age is just a number.
“With the nutrition we’ve got these days and the way you look after your body and yourself, it’s key. That’s what I’ve been doing throughout my career and I still feel fit, strong, like I’ve still got many years in my career.”
If Trippier has his eyes and heart set on continuing his playing career, would Newcastle United be silly to let him leave? After all, he has been a regular in the first-team since the turn of the year and remains an integral part of the club’s leadership group - one that has been gutted in recent windows with the departures of Matt Ritchie, Callum Wilson and Jamaal Lascelles.
It’s unlikely that Trippier will start next season as a regular, but there clearly is a role for him in the squad and with Tino Livramento being linked with various moves away from the club, allowing both to leave this summer, potentially along with Emil Krafth, would leave a major hole in Howe’s squad that needs to be filled.
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The easiest option may be to hand Trippier an extension and kick that particular can down the road. The same may apply to Fabian Schar who is also out of contract at the end of this season, but there’s only so long that Newcastle United can do that before they’re forced to make a big decision.
Eddie Howe reveals Kieran Trippier contract talks
What to do about Trippier’s future at the club is not a new issue for the club, with Howe addressing the possibility of talks between the club and player last month: “I think his long-term future will be something again that we discuss,” United’s head coach said.
“I've said this before. But it won't be sort of one way. It'll be with Kieran.
“Kieran's vastly experienced. He knows what he wants as well. So we'll sit together and we'll try and come to the right conclusion for everybody.”
He added: “He's had a big workload in recent weeks. We've been well aware of that. We've tried to manage his minutes when we can in games. But also, he's very much of the mindset that he wants the rhythm of the games, so he enjoys the games, he wants to play, and he feels he's better when he is regularly playing, so in some sense we've tried to give him that as well. But he's still an outstanding player.”