Newcastle United latest news: The Magpies are risking further UEFA punishment if this transfer is completed this summer.

Newcastle United midfielder Joe White could be set to leave the club in the coming days after not being included in Eddie Howe’s squad for their pre-season tour of Asia. White featured in a behind closed doors match against Carlisle earlier this month and again at Celtic Park during their 4-0 defeat to Brendan Rodgers’s side in Glasgow.

However, the 22-year-old did not travel to Singapore alongside some of his fellow academy graduates and is now set to leave the club. White spent the whole of last season on loan at League Two side MK Dons, impressing enough at Milton Keynes for them to extend his stay in January whilst fending off interest from clubs further up the pyramid.

Then Dons boss Scott Lindsey said at the time: “We felt there might have been interest from League One, and whether there would be a potential call-back from Newcastle.” Lindsey admitted.

“We would have understood that, we made it clear though we wanted him to stay here and play in a successful team, which we will be. Newcastle were supportive of that and we're really pleased he's staying.”

According to Football Insider, White will again spend time away from St James’ Park on-loan, with Leyton Orient set to be his next destination. Orient currently play in League One and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship last season.

White’s proposed move to Brisbane Road will allow him to play regular first-team football, with the midfielder risking being left out of Howe’s Premier League squad had he remained on Tyneside. White’s potential exit, though, does leave Newcastle United vulnerable to punishment by UEFA.

Newcastle United to be punished by UEFA rules

Newcastle United sealed Champions League qualification last season and will have to adhere to UEFA squad rules in that competition next season. UEFA rules require at least four club-trained players to be named in a squad in order to fill the full 25-man quota for the Champions League.

The Gazette has launched a new WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.

Currently, White is the only senior player that fulfills this requirement. Sean Longstaff had also filled this requirement, but he was sold to Leeds United for £12m earlier this month.

The departures of Paul Dummett and Elliot Anderson last summer left the Magpies very thin in this area and White, at 22, is the only player at the club that would help them satisfy this rule. Lewis Miley can also be classed as club-trained but, as he’s under 21, he does not need to be included in the main squad list.

The punishment for breaking this rule would mean that Newcastle United’s Champions League squad will be limited to just 21 senior players in all. It’s likely that some of those players trimmed from their Premier League squad for Champions League action will come in the goalkeeping department - one that currently stands at five-strong.

Sales elsewhere may also allow Howe to trim his options, but there will, hopefully, be new signings to add to that group - giving Howe and the Magpies’ administrative department a mini-headache to consider when European action comes around.