Exclusive: Newcastle open to offers for Ryan Fraser but want to keep another big signing

Newcastle United are willing to listen to offers for winger Ryan Fraser after the Scotland international expressed his frustration at not holding on to a regular first-team place.

Fraser has been a peripheral figure this season and has lost his appetite to compete with the likes of Allan Saint Maximin and Miguel Almiron for a place in the side.

As a result, he will look for a new club when the January window opens with Newcastle willing to let him leave, with Brentford and Southampton understood to be interested in the winger.

The 28-year-old has failed to show his best form since arriving on a free transfer from Bournemouth in the summer of 2020, scoring just two goals in 30 Premier League starts, with another 23 appearances coming as a substitute.

If Newcastle are able to sell Fraser it will also give them more room for manoeuvre to bring another player into the squad. Sources have stressed to Telegraph Sport that there will be no repeat of the extravagant recruitment seen in the previous two transfer windows under their Saudi Arabian owners, but they will delve into the market if the right player becomes available.

With no major new sponsorship deals announced, the club’s chief executive, Darren Eales, has warned they are better waiting until the summer to make more big moves in recruitment because of Financial Fair Play Rules.

Indeed, it is thought it is more likely the Magpies will look to bring in young players with potential next month, who are unlikely to go straight into manager Eddie Howe’s first-team plans.

Newcastle have spent more than £200 million on nine signings since January last year, with the money largely provided by majority stakeholders Public Investment Fund and director of football Dan Ashworth admitted in October that this level of spending was “unsustainable.”

With that in mind, there have been discussions about which players could be sold to raise funds, but the Magpies hierarchy have decided they do not want to lose striker Chris Wood as the New Zealand international has been an excellent back-up forward this season.

With club record signing Alexander Isak due to be fit again for the resumption of the Premier League campaign, against Leicester City on Boxing Day, Wood will find it even harder to get into the side.

But the striker has privately expressed his happiness on Tyneside and wants to stay where he is a popular member of the dressing room.

Newcastle received a number of loan offers for Wood at the end of the summer window after signing Isak for £60 million from Real Sociedad but did not want to leave themselves short of cover.

Ashworth and Howe have discussed the situation and are braced for interest in the 30-year-old, a £25 million signing from Burnley in January last year, but it would take a huge offer to tempt them to sell.

And unless the player changes his mind next month, they will also not entertain loan offers for the former Leeds United centre forward.