Newcastle United defender's swift January exit scuppered by Steve Bruce selection – report

The Sweden international had looked all set to depart Tyneside this month, with Istanbul Basaksehir his most likely destination.

But, according to the Daily Mail, the 26-year-old has had a rethink on his £2.7 million move now that his first-team prospects on Tyneside have unexpectedly risen.

Krafth – a £5m signing from Amiens in the summer of 2019 – has found himself behind the likes of DeAndre Yedlin, Javier Manquillo and even Jacob Murphy for his preferred right-back slot lately.

And as a result, had reportedly been lined up by the Turkish high-flyers for a winter window move. But Krafth's surprise recall to the side against Arsenal, in which the defender played the full 90 minutes of the 3-0 defeat at the Emirates, has cast that move into doubt.

Krafth has made just five appearances for United in the Premier League this season, some of which have come in the centre of defence.

The former Helsingborgs and Bologna man is one of a number of Newcastle United defenders who face an uncertain future on Tyneside.

Yedlin, Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez are into the final six months of their United contracts. Irishman Ciaran Clark only signed a new two-year deal at the football club yesterday.

All four players can talk to clubs on the continent about signing pre-contract deals.

Fernandez is a player rated highly by manager Bruce, having become a mainstay of the United backline under the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss. A clause was activated in the Argentine former Swansea and Napoli defender’s deal last summer to extend for a further year, but his future beyond June looks, at this stage, as uncertain as Swiss Schar and USA international Yedlin.

Should Bruce want to recruit in the January window he must free up some wriggle room in his 25-man Premier League squad. The departure of Krafth, or another, would then allow Bruce to press on with his plans to add a loan midfielder or full-back to his struggling ranks.