Newcastle must clear the decks in readiness for those about to come in and boost their Champions League charge next season. As a former manager myself the task facing Eddie Howe is to create space for newcomers and not clog the works as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest did in the last campaign.
You get rid for three reasons: dead wood, those agitating for regular first-team football who might disrupt the dressing-room, and the odd one you can cash in because it opens up all sorts of other possibilities.
I've been going through my list of expendables so let me start right away with my most controversial decision. I would let Allan Saint-Maximin go but only for a sizeable fee.
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Oh, I know he is probably one of the most skilful players United have got if not the most skilful. But for all his possession, for all his ability and pace to frighten people, his end product is nowhere near good enough. Watch him regularly and you know he flatters to deceive.
Time and again after having his opponent on toast he will turn back and start to do it all again instead of whipping in a cross. Maxi would have driven me mad as a centre-forward and I bet he would have done the same with Alan Shearer.
I don't think the penny is going to drop now. He is what he is. Mind you, with his ability to be a crowd pleaser several clubs will be interested. So let him go and flourish elsewhere.
United are well off in the wide positions where I would keep Jacob Murphy ahead of Saint-Maximin. Murphy has nowhere near the God-given ability of the Frenchman but he is one of the best crosses of the ball on United's books and he will look to get off a shot as well.
Howe has Miggy Almiron, Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Murphy all capable of playing wide so he can afford to cash in on Maxi.
I would keep Almiron though I would like him to rediscover his goalscoring awareness shown in the first half of last season when he was always willing to come in off the wing and finish with lovely placed shots into the far corner. This year Miggy alarmingly resorted to being the old Miggy.
Who would I let go elsewhere? Well, Ryan Fraser like a shot. I would taxi him wherever he wanted to go. The same with Jamal Lewis, Jeff Hendrick, Isaac Hayden and Matt Ritchie who served Newcastle well.
I would keep Paul Dummett because United need cover and would do the same with Jamaal Lascelles for that very same reason. Lascelles has looked a more confident performer since Steve Bruce left.
Matt Targett is also worth hanging around but with young Harrison Ashby signed from West Ham either Emil Krafth or Javier Manquillo can leave. I know everyone is suggesting it will be Manquillo because Krafth has had a season long injury but I would be tempted to make it the Swede though I would be happy enough if both departed.
That brings us to the goalkeeping situation beneath Nick Pope which is interesting. The contracts of Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie have run out while Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow were keen to go out on loan last season so all four could leave.
I would not stand in the way of any other them. Both Dubravka and Darlow may want first team football at this stage of their careers and if that is so to frustrate them would not create a happy atmosphere. So it could be that keeper cover is added to Howe's shopping list.
One last thought: I really hope Manchester City complete the treble tonight by defeating Inter Milan in the Champions League final. City are an absolute joy to watch and if you love football in its purest sense and are English then you should wish to see them rewarded.
Mind, it will be a family at war for the Macdonalds. I lived in Milan for six years and my youngest daughter is a rabid Inter fan. She will have her blue and black scarf on and text messages will be flying back and forth.
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