Newcastle United have endured a mixed season so far, finding out the hard way about how difficult it is to balance domestic and European action.
Injuries haven’t helped, but Premier League defeats against the likes of Bournemouth and Everton will frustrate Eddie Howe, no matter how depleted his side have been. The January transfer window at least gives the Magpies the chance to strengthen and add to the squad depth that they needed in the summer.
The focus of those at St James’ Park may not entirely be on incomings, though, with reports suggesting that they are now ready to sell on a particular out-of-favour player to make room for much-needed additions.
Newcastle transfer news
At the time, Newcastle’s summer spending seemed adequate enough to see them compete on all fronts this season, but Sandro Tonali’s lengthy ban for breaching betting rules and Harvey Barnes’ injury soon left the Magpies depleted when it came to arrivals. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento have at least enjoyed some success, but ultimately, the previous transfer window will arguably be looked back on as a failure as things stand.
January offers the recruitment team the chance to go again, but first Newcastle want to clear out some deadwood. According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Newcastle are ready to sell Emil Krafth in January if they sign a centre-back in the winter window. Krafth has plummeted down the pecking order under Howe and desperately needs a move for the sake of getting more minutes on the pitch.
The full-back, who can also play centre-back, is out of contract in the summer, meaning that Newcastle’s only chance to cash in is this January. If they fail to do so, then they will likely lose Krafth on a free upon the expiry of his current contract. For all parties, it seems as though a winter departure is the best option when the window opens.
Out-of-favour Krafth desperately needs departure
Even as Newcastle have suffered with injuries, Krafth’s game time has remained limited. The 29-year-old has played just two minutes in the Premier League all season, whilst making his only start in the Carabao Cup, as Newcastle thrashed Manchester United 3-0. After that performance, Krafth may have hoped to see his minutes increase, but that has not been the case. From the defender’s perspective, he will be hoping to see a number of offers for his signature arrive in January.
Despite limiting his game time, Howe has previously been full of praise for Krafth, saying via Chronicle Live back in April 2022: “Very, very good. Emil was one of the players I spoke about in the pre-match press conference before the game. He was suffering with an illness and didn’t train much last week. He deserves full credit for putting himself out on the pitch today. He cramped at the end, probably because nutritionally he was slightly down. But what a performance, especially against a fresh Harvey Barnes coming on – a real test for him. I’ve been really impressed with him – both as a player and as a person.”
