OPINION
Rafa Benitez will be looking to add to his Newcastle squad this summer in order to avoid Premier League relegation next term, but he must also pay attention to his own players.
Five Newcastle players are just 12 months away from seeing their current Toon contracts expiring and former Liverpool boss Benitez must make a decision soon over whether he should extend their current deals.
Benitez’s lack of movement throughout the 2016-17 campaign is set to see first-team stars Yoann Gouffran and Vurnon Anita leave St. James’ Park on a free transfer in two weeks’ time.
This Is Futbol analyses the five Newcastle players that are just a year away from leaving Tyneside for nothing, and whether they are deserving of a new contract under Benitez.
Here are those five players, including one of the first names on Benitez’s team sheet during Newcastle’s promotion-winning campaign: