Magpies fans were left angry and frustrated at their club’s lack of summer transfer business – which was later defended – with Joe Willock the only signing to arrive.
Steve Bruce, who attempted to sign Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury on deadline day, shifted the likes of Andy Carroll, Christian Atsu, Florian Lejeune, Yoshinori Muto and Henri Saivet off the wage bill.
As a result, Bruce’s squad is lacking serious depth. The United head coach is expected to name just 21 outfield players in his 25-man squad with four goalkeepers set to be included.
Although the transfer window shut is until January, there are a number of experienced out-of-contract players waiting to be snapped up.
Here, we pick out the standout names that Bruce could turn to before confirming his 25-man squad to the EPL:
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9. Nabil Bentaleb
Bentaleb was frozen out at Schalke on several occasions, before and after his brief loan spell at Newcastle. The Algerian didn’t exactly impress whilst on Tyneside but on paper, he remains an experienced midfielder and one that has played in the Premier League. Photo: Alexander Hassenstein
10. Andy Carroll
Despite staying fit last season, the 32-year-old Geordie striker spent most of his time on the bench. Carroll is keen to pursue regular first-team football but so far, he’s been unable to find a new club. Photo: Pool
11. Daniel Sturridge
The former Liverpool striker has been without a club since March 2020 when his contract at Turkish side Trabzonspor was terminated. Sturridge, however, has vowed to come back stronger as he trains with Spanish club RCD Mallorca. Photo: OLI SCARFF