Newcastle Transfers: 8 Players Rafa Benitez Still Needs To Get Rid Of
Still more work to be done on Tyneside... there's bad eggs left over.
The Championship season is now underway and Newcastle have quite a meaty squad to choose from. Rafa Benitez has been busy this summer, picking away parts of deadwood as he looks to assemble a squad capable of planning an assault on the Championship title.
The likes of Isaac Hayden, Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie, Jesus Gamez and Grant Hanley have been drafted in, as the experienced Spaniard looks to shake up what was a haggard and dreary unit from last season.
It goes without saying that this club should not be in the Championship and the reasons for them being there begins with the culmination of years of neglectful ownership. The recruitment policy has been a disaster, with some imports seemingly caring more about what's written on the pay slip rather than what's imprinted on the badge.
As such, more work still needs to be done. The campaign may only be a few games in, but there are players who still need to be trimmed from Benitez’ squad for the sake of both themselves and the club. Whether it's a case of the player being too inexperienced, egocentric or simply not good enough, here is the list of those who should be boarding a one-way flight out of Tyneside before the transfer window shuts this month.
5. Haris Vuckic
“I spoke to (Steve) McClaren and he wants me to play games. Hopefully I can do well, go back to Newcastle and take it from there. I was a bit disappointed because I wanted my chance there.” - Haris Vuckic, January 2016.
Haris Vuckic was always hailed as the next big thing at St. James’ Park, and he is still clinging onto that dream, no matter how distant it might be now. By now, he might have expected his Tyneside career to have progressed a little further than it has.
Let’s face facts though - Vuckic is nearly 24. You could count on one hand the amount of league games he has played for the club in the last five years. Since netting his only Newcastle goal against Atromitos in August 2012, the youngster has netted just 15 times across three separate loan spells - against lower opposition.
His last two loan periods included stints in the Scottish Championship and League One. These are not the typical telltale signs of a man who is about to burst onto the bigtime. You’d have to think that the Slovenian’s chance might have come and gone, with Adam Armstrong, Jamie Sterry and Rolando Aarons the new stars of the future.