Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is seemingly planning to shift the ‘deadwood’ from his squad when the market re-opens next month, with recent reports suggesting that the Magpies could be open to offers for at least four first-team players.
One of those assets who could seemingly be shown the door is Ryan Fraser, with the diminutive winger having been deemed surplus to requirements after failing to truly establish himself in the side of late.
The 28-year-old – who still has two-and-a-half years left on his existing deal at St James’ Park – is said to have caught the attention of clubs both in the Premier League and in the Championship, having previously joined the Tynesiders on a free transfer from Bournemouth in the summer of 2020.
Since then, the Scotland international has scored just three goals and laid on only six assists in 59 games in all competitions for the northeast side, having notably been hampered by injury following his move from the Cherries.
As for the current campaign, the 5 foot 4 speedster has failed to score in his eight top-flight outings thus far, with only three of those appearances having come from the start to demonstrate his slide down the pecking order.
The £42k-per-week man’s exit could well be hastened by the addition of another attacking recruit in the New Year, with journalist Fabrizio Romano having suggested that a new winger could well be one of Howe’s “priorities”.
That being said, the 44-year-old could well save himself millions by looking to the academy ranks to find a notable upgrade for Fraser, with 20-year-old Dylan Stephenson one asset whom the Newcastle boss has seen up close in recent times.
The promising Englishman was part of the first-team squad for the recent warm-weather training camp in Saudi Arabia, notably netting in the 5-0 thrashing of Al-Hilal last week as a statement of his undoubted finishing prowess.
That strike notably drew praise from his manager, with Howe stating after that thumping, friendly victory: “You always remember the first goal you score. He’s a great lad, very hard working, great attitude, this is a great experience for him and hopefully the first of many.”
While typically a centre-forward, the youngster also has the ability to feature on the flanks, with adopting that latter role potentially a better bet with regards to securing a place in the first team, due to the presence of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak as centre-forward options.
Unlike Fraser – who has scored just two league goals for the club – Stephenson is clearly a figure who “knows where the net is” – according to journalist Craig Hope – having scored five goals in just ten games at Premier League 2 level this season.
That ensures that his overall tally for the Magpies’ U21 side stands at 19 goals in 56 games to date, having previously scored 20 times in just 39 games for the U18s as a marker of his clinical ability in the final third.
The hope will be that he can go on to establish himself in the first team set-up over the coming months, with the impending departure of Fraser potentially allowing Stephenson the opportunity to stake his claim for a more prominent role at senior level.
