10 Players Who Could Be Axed For Newcastle's Summer Recruits

7. Vurnon Anita

In 2012, Anita was brought in after winning the Dutch title with Ajax to shore up the midfield and was the only signing for the first team during the summer after the club finished fifth. Anita has not impressed by and large since then, with a lack of pace, mediocre distribution and repeatedly appearing clumsy in a tackle as well as going forward. With the addition of an all-action midfielder like Georginio Wijnaldum, Anita faces yet another challenger for a berth in the starting line-up, even if it is unclear exactly what formation will be used once the season starts. It doesn't appear to matter what formation McClaren chooses, Anita seems likely to lose out. If McClaren goes 4-2-3-1, Moussa Sissoko, Jack Colback, Mehdi Abeid and Cheick Tiote could all take a spot in the deeper two-man unit in midfield, playing Wijnaldum further forward (and possibly Sissoko). But if McClaren goes with three in the centre of midfield, it still does not appear that the diminutive Anita adds enough to the side to warrant a place. Seeing the club add yet another Eredivisie-winning captain to the midfield means that the former Ajax man really needs to bulk up and start this season how he finished the last campaign against West Ham United - with a strong, brave and composed performance in the centre.