Newcastle ready to listen to offers for £100k-a-week player who missed most of last season

Newcastle United would do themselves a big favour in getting rid of the deadwood at the club this summer with several players still on hefty wages despite not being part of the first-team.

There are actually a few players at the club who, from an outsider's perspective are getting paid for precisely naff all. Mark Gillespie has just been offered a new contract and all he does for a living is train. Canny work if you can get it.

Fortunately for the club, though, Gillespie is on peanuts in a relative sense - although I wouldn't mind being a penny behind him.

There is one player raking in £100k-a-week according to Capology, who doesn't even do that much. Matt Targett was last seen hobbling around the training centre in a moon boot during Joelinton's contract renewal video.

@MattyTargett/X

Targett was a huge part of Newcastle's spectacular survival under Eddie Howe

The former Aston Villa fullback arrived at St James' Park on loan as part of Eddie Howe's first transfer window in the January that saw Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes Chris Wood and Dan Burn also join.

That group of players were instrumental in keeping Newcastle in the Premier League. Targett was so impressive that fans demanded he be signed on a permanent deal, even Bruno Guimaraes interrupted an on-field interview with Targett to tell the club to sign him up.

And that's what they did. Unfortunately, since then Targett has spent more time injured than he has available and as much as Eddie Howe loves him, it's absolutely time to cut our losses.

Newcastle should be active in trying to move on Matt Targett

In The Athletic's squad audit, Targett is mentioned as a player that Newcastle would listen to offers for, but for us, we say we should be actively looking to offload him.

Don't wait around for clubs to come to us all the while he's picking up another £100k-a-week.

It's unfortunate because he was brilliant for that half a season, but he's been a waste of money ever since. Getting rid will not be easy thanks to his gargantuan wages - no other club is going to pay that for him, so there's no incentive for him to move.