Newcastle United’s fourth summer exit confirmed with four more to follow imminently

With the 23-year-old’s contract set to expire next summer, the League One loan is likely to spell the end of his Newcastle career. Watts spent last season on loan at Peterborough United but struggled for game-time due to injury.

He has previously spent time on loan at Wigan, helping the side win the League One title in the process. Watts becomes Newcastle’s fourth confirmed departure so far this summer after Yankuba Minteh and Matthew Bondswell’s loans to Feyenoord and Newport County respectively and Chris Wood’s permanent move to Nottingham Forest following a loan spell last season.

But more exits are set to follow, potentially by the end of the week.

Karl Darlow has left the United States training camp and is set for a medical at Championship club Leeds United ahead of a £400,000 move. Jamal Lewis has also left America ahead of a loan move to Watford for the 2023-24 season in the Championship.

Allan Saint-Maximin’s £30million move to Al Ahli is set to be confirmed after the player had a medical earlier in the week. 18-year-old Garang Kuol has played no part in pre-season so far and is close to being loaned out to Eredivisie side FC Volendam.

The Australian spent the second half of last season on loan at Heart of Midlothian but struggled to make an impact, scoring once in nine appearances.

Further exits are likely to be confirmed later in the window with the likes of Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden training away from the first-team and deemed surplus to requirements.

Newcastle have made three signings so far this summer with Minteh joining from Odense before being loaned to Feyenoord, Sandro Tonali arriving from AC Milan for £52million and Harvey Barnes signing from Leicester City for £38million.

The Magpies are currently away in America for the Premier League Summer Series. Eddie Howe’s side have drawn 3-3 with Aston Villa and 1-1 with Chelsea so far ahead of their match against Brighton & Hove Albion in New Jersey on Saturday morning (kick-off 12:30am BST).