This is what Newcastle United fans can expect on transfer deadline day
The exit door will be the one to watch today.
Newcastle United, we know, almost certainly completed its incoming transfer business yesterday with the signing of Danny Rose.
Rose followed fellow loanees Valentino Lazaro and Nabil Bentaleb to St James’s Park.
And, crucially, the club has opted against signing another striker in this month’s transfer window. That’s a decision many fans believe Steve Bruce, United’s head coach, could come to regret given how few Premier League goals his 14th-placed team has scored so far this season.
However, the club’s view is that the squad is stronger – and has more quality – than it did at the start of the month following the arrivals of Lazaro and Bentaleb.
Rose – who started last season’s Champions League final – was signed following the loss of Jetro Willems and Paul Dummett to season-ending injuries.
So who will leave before tonight’s deadline?
Ki Sung-yueng, told he can leave late last year, all but said goodbye to fans in a recent programme interview. The 31-year-old said: “If I go somewhere else, I’m still proud of Newcastle – it’s a big club for me, and I really enjoy playing in front of a lot of passion. We have to see what’s going to happen.”
Newcastle could also farm out some younger players – Elias Sorensen, Tom Allan and Liam Gibson are candidates for loans – and Jamie Sterry is desperate for some first-team football before his contract ends in the summer.