‘Confirmed’ - Celtic eye Newcastle United outcast after £30m ‘replacement’ named v Aston Villa

Fraser has been deemed surplus to requirements at Newcastle after being forced to train with the Under-21s side for the second half of last season. The 29-year-old winger has not been training with The Magpies first-team this summer and was left out of the pre-season squads.

The Scottish international was also stripped of his No. 21 squad number ahead of the new season with £30million summer signing Tino Livramento being handed the number instead. Livramento’s No. 21 shirt was confirmed ahead of United’s 5-1 season opener win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

Fraser hasn’t started a competitive match since September 2022 with his only outing in 2023 coming for The Magpies’ Under-21s side. But Celtic are reportedly keen to sign the former Aberdeen and AFC Bournemouth winger.

Transfer expert Rudy Galetti claims that Celtic’s interest in Fraser has been ‘confirmed’ with Newcastle keen to get the player off their books. The Magpies are also looking to sell or loan Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden, both of whom spent last season on loan in the Championship with Reading and Norwich City respectively.

Neither have been training with the first-team with head coach Eddie Howe stating earlier this month that there was no update on their potential exits.

“I think with those players, in particular, it is very difficult for us as a football club because in an ideal world for their careers we’d want them to go and play football and have a good career at another football club,” Howe said previously.

“But there’s all sorts of difficulties associated with it, contract length, the amount of money they are earning and it is finding a football club that they want to go to as well. They are all great lads. I have no issue with any of them and I wish them well, but let’s see what happens.”

Newcastle are still looking to bring in one more signing before the end of the transfer window on September 1. A defensive addition has been targeted as Howe looks to sign another left-back.

Kieran Tierney and Marc Cucurella are reportedly on the club’s radar regarding a potential loan deal.