Report: Newcastle may now sell 'excellent' defender in January in squad shake-up

Newcastle United may be prepared to move players on in January to raise funds and refresh the squad.

Right now the idea of letting any first-team players go seems mental given how few we actually have available but the next few weeks should see players starting to return to fitness.

If that's the case then Eddie Howe can start looking at letting players leave in January with Sweden international Emil Krafth set for the chop according to Football Insider.

It's been a rough year or so for Emil Krafth

The 29-year-old signed a new deal last year after impressing Eddie Howe when asked to deputise for Kieran Trippier.

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Since then, however, Krafth has played just 129 minutes of football after picking up an ACL injury in the Carabao Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers in August 2022.

He has just made his return from injury and has been used sparingly as a substitute.

Now's the time to cash in on Krafth while we can

Newcastle paid around £5million for Krafth in 2019 and that spell covering for Trippier was his best in a black and white shirt with Howe praising him as 'excellent'.

Although it seems harsh selling a player as he's just returning from a year-long injury absence, the fact is Newcastle need to cash in on Krafth while they can with his contract exipring next year as he's unlikely to be offered a new one.

With all due respect to Krafth, too, we have Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento with Harrison Ashby waiting in the wings who will all be ahead of him in the pecking order next season, so its' probably in his best interest to leave too.