Newcastle prepare summer transfer cull with as many as 10 stars 'facing axe'

Newcastle United's 2022 summer transfer window has been highly anticipated as we've approached the latter stages of the current season, with it set to be their first full transfer window as the richest club in the world.

While there has been plenty of excitement surrounding the rumours of potential signings to be made by the Magpies ahead of next season, there is now plenty of attention focused on who, and how many, will be leaving Tyneside in the opposite direction.

And that has come to light even more following Newcastle 's 5-0 mauling from Manchester City on Sunday, in which manager Eddie Howe insisted that he will discard those he "loves" in a potential axe of 10 players.

As reported by The Sun, Howe is set to take no prisoners ahead of what has been described as a summer cull, as Newcastle were dealt a harsh lesson over the weekend in how far they still need to go in order to begin competing with the very best in the Premier League.

In his post-match interview, Howe said: "Players that you love and have a great relationship with, they sometimes have to leave for the benefit of the team. I'm sure there'll be players that will move on, who have represented the club in a brilliant way."

Despite performing a remarkable job at the helm since he took over in November at St. James' Park, in which the Magpies have risen from 19th to 13th and will officially be mathematically safe should Leeds United lose to Chelsea on Wednesday night, there is still plenty of work to be done.

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The Magpies may have recorded the third highest points total in 2022, behind only Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as winning 10 of their last 16 matches, but four of their five defeats have come against the top six - which is the level at which they want to compete.

And following Sunday's 5-0 thrashing by the Premier League leaders, Howe has now insisted that he may have to depart with certain players he "loves" for the benefit of the team, as they look to build and progress for next season and begin challenging at the right end of the table.

The likes of Ciaran Clark, Isaac Hayden, Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle, Karl Darlow, Javier Manquillo, Federico Fernandez and Jamal Lewis have barely played under Howe and are all set to be placed on the transfer list this summer, while the club will listen to offers for players such as Jamaal Lascelles and Miguel Almiron, despite their involvement within the team.

Only Manquillo, Lascelles and Almiron have featured more regularly under Howe this season, largely from substitute appearances and squad rotation, while Clark, Hayden and Lewis weren't even named in the club's 25-man squad for the second part of the campaign.

Darlow and Fernandez haven't played a single minute of Premier League football in 2022, while Ritchie, Gayle, Manquillo, Lascelles and Almiron have a combined total of 32 appearances since the turn of the year, which is largely made up by the final two in that list.

It represents a vast change in mindset by Howe and those at the club, but it is clear that these players simply aren't at the required level to help them progress next season, which was made exemplary in their league position before Howe took over and the owners splashed out £95 million in the January transfer window on five new acquisitions.