KIERAN TRIPPIER is set to leave Newcastle United this summer, with mounting interest from the Saudi Arabian Pro League expected to herald the defender’s departure from Tyneside.

Trippier has entered the final year of his current contract at St James’ Park, and there are currently no plans to enter into discussions over a new deal.

Newcastle officials turned down an offer which was reportedly worth around £12.8m from Bayern Munich in January, opting to keep Trippier as part of Eddie Howe’s squad for the second half of last season.

However, Trippier’s inconsistent form from December onwards, allied to the development of Tino Livramento, who is now seen as the best long-term option at right-back, means the Magpies hierarchy are much keener to sell the 33-year-old this summer.

Trippier is one of Newcastle’s highest-paid players, meaning a sale during the current transfer window would have the double benefit of securing a sizeable fee for a player who is due to become a free agent in less than a year’s time while also creating a significant amount of room on the wage bill as the Magpies strive to remain compliant with the Premier League’s PSR rules.

Bayern are not expected to rekindle their interest this summer, but Trippier is the subject of strengthening interest from at least two different clubs in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian transfer window is now open, and more formal talks are expected to take place in the next couple of weeks as the Newcastle hierarchy look to engineer a departure.

Trippier is yet to return to pre-season training as he has been given an extended break in the wake of his involvement at Euro 2024, where he started all of England’s matches bar the final against Spain.

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While Livramento is set to start the season as Newcastle first-choice right-back, with Emil Krafth available as back-up, Trippier’s departure could lead to the Magpies looking to recruit another full-back, with Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode having been touted as a potential option.

Trippier might not be the only senior player leaving Newcastle before the end of the window with Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson also having been linked with possible exits.

Like Trippier, Longstaff has entered the final year of his current contract without Newcastle officials having been able to agree the terms of a new deal. However, whereas Trippier’s age effectively precludes the offer of a new long-term deal, there is still hope that Longstaff, who turned 26 last October, can be persuaded to commit his future to Tyneside.

Almiron’s future has been the subject of considerable debate for a number of months now, with Newcastle’s strong desire to sign a new right-sided attacker suggesting the Paraguayan’s days on Tyneside could be numbered.

Wilson, who is set to miss the start of the season because of a back problem, is another player whose contract is due to expire next summer, and while Howe would ideally like to keep him because of his attacking experience, senior figures are pushing for him to be sold while he has still has some transfer value.