2. Danny Simpson
Likely Fee: £2.5m On paper, Simpson was one of the best right-backs in the country last season, and for some his impressive statistics just don't lie, but while the former Manchester United defender has undoubtedly been solid since he signed for the club permanently a couple of years ago, he hasn't exactly won the fans over. Though he has an enviable knack of clearing the ball of the line, and undoubtedly personally saved Newcastle at least four goals last year, he is still seen as the weak link in a back four that will surely be looking towards once again qualifying for Europe by the end of the coming season. His ball control leaves something to be desired, and his positional sense is occasionally lacking, though he does possess a fearsome challenge and knows exactly when to back off. Going forward, Simpson was cruelly undermined by playing with Joey Barton in front of him, who would sit a lot deeper than a conventional right midfielder and angle long balls across field, rarely spotting Simpson's overlapping runs, which would ultimately lead to the defender being caught out of position. That could have done little for his confidence, and last season, those runs all but dried up completely - and what Newcastle need at the minute is an attacking right-back who mixes strong deliveries and runs with defensive prowess. Or Mathieu Debuchy, as he's commonly known. Added to those problems is his apparently reluctance to sign a new contract - something that Alan Pardew seemed keen to tie up last year - which some fans have seen as misplaced arrogance (though rumours abound that Simpson only wants to match the wages of right-back competition James Perch), and it looks like Simpson's time in black and white might well be up.