Rafa Benitez Set to Overhaul Newcastle Squad in Summer With Striker Set for Exit

With Aleksandar Mitrovic likely to be leading the line for Fulham in Saturday's ​Championship play-off final, Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez may be hoping the London side leave Wembley victorious. 

According to ​the ​Chronicle, Benitez is planning to free up funds by overhauling his squad this summer, with Mitrovic earmarked for the exit. However, whether the Serbian striker can be easily moved on may depend on which division ​Fulham are playing in next season.

Promotion for Fulham should, according to the report, see Mitrovic make his way to London on a permanent deal, with ​Newcastle receiving a £15m fee. The move will also free up approximately £50,000 of wages per week for the Magpies. 

Mitrovic will not be the only high-profile Newcastle player leaving this summer, with Jack Colback (who is on similar wages to the Serbian) also a player that Benitez is reportedly looking to sell on.

Hoping to not have another frustrating season in the transfer market, it seems the Newcastle manager is already ahead of the game with preparations for next season.

With Rafa looking to bring in quality players this summer, he will have to offload a number of players to be able to offer his transfer targets the wages they will inevitably demand. This list includes centre back Chancel Mbemba, goalkeeper Matz Sels, Henri Saivet, and Adam Armstrong.