Six Newcastle United players 'set to leave' as official update confirms double deal & Paul Mitchell talks

On Thursday, Newcastle confirmed that Emil Krafth and Martin Dubravka had agreed new contracts at the club. Both deals are understood to run until the end of the 2025-26 season.

That now leaves six players out of contract at the end of the season and set to leave the club on a free transfer as things stand. But talks are ongoing regarding potential new deals while the club may also look to exercise extension options.

Sean Longstaff’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season but the club are understood to have triggered a one-year extension clause to tie the midfielder to the club for another season and avoid losing him for nothing in the summer.

Talks will be led by sporting director Paul Mitchell, who commented after Dubravka’s new deal: “Our conversations with Martin have been very positive and constructive. It's clear how special the club is to him, so the desire to reach this outcome and keep him here was mutual.

"He has made a big contribution to the club over the last seven years, typified by his recent performances, so we're really pleased to be continuing our time together."

Speaking about potential new deals for his players, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “Losing players to free transfers is not something we want to be fighting as a football club for many different reasons.

“Probably the biggest reason for that is that it's a distraction for the players and, in my experience, players don’t tend to play well when they start to run their contract down into that last year, it's a very uncertain time for them.

“We want players at their best but we want to protect the asset value of the individual player as well. To replace any player that is in and around our squad is going to cost us a lot of money so we've got to be very careful with those decisions.

“I think having your players secure in their futures is key to their performances. You don’t want the transfer speculation or the contracts potentially running into shorter terms because I think that it distracts and rarely benefits the player or the club.

“So, my wish is that players are always focused on their performances and that the outside distraction is minimal.

“Our best way to do that is to get them secure and happy but of course, there is a balance because with wage structures and PSR we can’t be reckless with what we do either.

“So we have to get those calls right but, of course, getting those players to play at their best levels will have a dramatic effect on our season.”

Newcastle United players out of contract this summer

Fabian Schar

The 33-year-old defender is also in talks regarding a new deal with his extension option that was triggered last season ending this coming summer.

Howe said last week: “I know there have been discussions taking place between Paul Mitchell and Fabian's representatives, so fingers crossed we find a solution and we get to a situation where everyone's happy and Fabian can extend his stay with us.”

Jamaal Lascelles

There is less certainty over Jamaal Lascelles’ future at Newcastle with the defender spending the last 11 months on the sidelines with an ACL injury. It is unclear whether he will start any matches between now and the end of the season, let alone get a new contract though he remains a respected member of the dressing room as club captain.

Providing an injury update on Lascelles, Howe said recently: “We have Jamaal Lascelles still working his way back to fitness. He's still going to be a few weeks behind where we are currently.”

Jamal Lewis

Jamal Lewis was a surprise inclusion in Newcastle’s Premier League squad for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign after his loan move at Sao Paulo was brought to a premature end. The Brazilian side had an option to make the loan permanent in the summer but an injury saw his spell in South America cut short.

He is still working his way back to fitness and won’t be offered a new contract at the club, becoming a free agent in the summer.

Callum Wilson

One player who has recently returned to fitness, Wilson could play a big part for Newcastle between now and the end of the season provided he stays fit and available. The striker has only started one match so far this season, scoring in the 3-2 win at Birmingham City in the FA Cup earlier this month.

He turns 33 later this month and is out of contract in the summer. The club won’t offer Wilson a new deal though they do have an option to trigger a one-year extension in his current contract.

However, Wilson remains a very highly regarded player by Howe, who recently said: “I don't see a huge number of strikers in world football that can do what Callum can do. The big thing for us is, can we keep him fit, keep him on the pitch? And then there's no doubting his ability.”

John Ruddy & Mark Gillespie

Goalkeeping duo John Ruddy and Mark Gillespie are in a unique situation where they are out of contract in the summer but unlikely to feature for the club on the pitch. Their value comes in their presence on the training ground so new contracts are not out of the question.

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