Newcastle United were hoping to close a deal for Marc Guehi today. In one piece of business, however, an attacker will be leaving.
The Magpies have been quieter than perhaps many expected this summer, but hoped to close a deal for Marc Guehi at least. The saga has dragged on but today ended with Oliver Glasner confirming his captain will remain at Selhurst Park.
However, there is still business to be done for Newcastle United. Replacement targets have been mooted, while an outgoing is in the pipeline.
Mark McAdam says that Ryan Fraser is set for a move to Southampton. The Scotsman went on loan there last season.
With Fraser no longer in Newcastle's plans, it makes sense to sell Fraser, in FourFourTwo's opinion. Eddie Howe worked with the 30-year-old during his spell as Bournemouth manager, though – and things did not end well.
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Fraser was out of contract at the end of the 2019/20 season at the Vitality Stadium. When lockdown postponed the season, several players in the same boat signed short-term extensions to remain at their clubs – such as David Silva, who left Manchester City after the original June 1 deadline.
But Fraser opted not to play for the Cherries, as he would risk injuring himself ahead of finding a new club. While FourFourTwo understands that the Bournemouth staff and players respected his decision, he later made comments that he believed he could have helped Bournemouth stay in the division, after the south coast side were relegated.
There has been no indication that Howe still harbours that grudge against Fraser, but the winger has seen reduced playing time since he took the job. In 2023, Howe said that Fraser had no future at Newcastle and claimed the star wasn't committed to the side.
In 2022/23, Fraser didn't start once for Newcastle from October onwards. He appeared on the bench twice from New Year onwards – once away at Bournemouth, where he was greeted with a vocal reception when he warmed up.
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