With our focus trained on the possible incomings to St James' Park this summer we've neglected to pay attention to the players that have conceivably pulled on a Newcastle shirt for the last time. Managing director Lee Charnley is under severe pressure to procure the six new signings required to inject new life into a deflated Magpies side that limped to a top-10 finish last season and is need of major reconstructive surgery before the transfer window snaps shut at the end of August. Operating on a limited budget and within Mike Ashley's strict blueprint will leave Charnley with no alternative but to generate the funds to afford our primary transfer targets - believed to be Remy Cabella and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - by pawning off several assets from the current squad. But it's a strategy would be counter-productive given the Newcastle dressing room is already light on numbers after Shola Ameobi was released after 14 years in black and white, while Loic Remy and Luuk De Jong returned to their respective clubs at the culmination of their loan deals. We do understand that Charnley has been instructed to move on certain members of the squad during pre-season and there are others who we envisage will be sold just to raise the cash for new purchases. Here are the EIGHT stars who we think have played their last game for Newcastle.
8. Haris Vuckic
Vuckic was regarded as one of the hottest talents in Europe when Newcastle fought off competition from AC Milan to land the unpolished but gifted Slovenian from his hometown club NK Domzale just a few months short of his 16th birthday in January 2009. But the early potential that elevated Vuckic to potential 'wonder kid' status has since evaporated and his progress stunted by a succession of injury lay-offs - including a ruptured cruciate ligament in October 2012 - with the 21-year-old now at a early crossroads in his fledging career after being forecasted as star in the making by former managing director Derek Llambias. Vuckic enjoyed a moderately successful season-long loan stint at League One outfit Rotherham last term and played 24 times for the Millers as they gained promotion to the Championship. But, once again injuries negated his impact at the New York Stadium, where he was predominantly used as a substitute, and he returns to Tyneside with a question mark hanging over his future. We're still hoping that Vuckic can make something of himself by harnessing the natural talents in his possession but the end appears nigh for him on Tyneside and a return to Rotherham increasingly likely alongside James Tavernier. However, we'll continue to purr over his display in a 3-2 defeat to West Brom at St James' Park in December 2012 when he starred in his favoured no.10 role behind Demba Ba and crashed a stunning 30-yard thunderbolt off the bar at the Leazes End.
