Dominic Scurr reflects on Newcastle United's retained list announcement
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00:00Newcastle United's retained list ahead of the 2025-26 season has been released, but what does it all mean?
00:07In reality, the update from the club announced at 12pm on Friday the 6th of June doesn't really tell us an awful lot.
00:16Heading into this period after the end of the season just gone, ahead of the new season, we knew there were four players out of contract at the end of June.
00:26Those were Jamal Lewis, John Ruddy, Callum Wilson and Mark Gillespie.
00:32As it happens, the update released by the club has said Jamal Lewis, a player who hasn't played for Newcastle barely in the past couple of seasons, is going to be released.
00:44No surprises there. Mark Gillespie has triggered an extension, which I guess tends to be an annual occurrence for Mark Gillespie.
00:54He's out of contract in the summer. He's fifth choice goalkeeper. He gets an extension.
00:59He's just a training ground player at this stage, so no real surprise there.
01:03And then, in terms of Callum Wilson and John Ruddy, two players out of contract at the end of the month, no confirmation of new deals for them, but no confirmation that they're going to be released either.
01:13It said, talks ongoing. They could still be handed new deals.
01:18So, again, it's a statement that sort of says, we'll wait and see.
01:22But one thing that did come from the statement, again, that we knew were expected, was that Lloyd Kelly's transfer to Juventus will be officially complete, made permanent on June the 30th.
01:34Lloyd Kelly obviously joined Juventus on loan in January, which included an obligation to buy based on performance-related criteria.
01:43I reported on the Shields Gazette earlier, a couple of months ago, that the performance-related criteria had been met and Lloyd Kelly would join Juventus on a permanent transfer in the summer.
01:55And that has indeed been officially confirmed in a statement by the club.
02:00The club said, undisclosed fee, which is interesting.
02:04Obviously, I understand the fee is worth up to £20 million when you include the initial loan fee, the transfer fee, and then the related bonuses that stem from Juventus qualifying for Europe.
02:16And, indeed, they qualified for the Champions League.
02:18So, Newcastle entitled to the maximum payout, which I believe is just below £20 million.
02:24I think it works out, £19.9 million when you work out the conversion rate in Euros, but near enough £20 million for Lloyd Kelly.
02:33So, great piece of business.
02:35That's been confirmed.
02:37We'll wait and see on Callum Wilson and John Ruddy.
02:40I'd say, if you want my personal opinion, then I'd say both players probably set to leave the club.
02:48Newcastle looking at other goalkeeping options, free transfers.
02:51Because Fraser Forster, a player who's been linked and obviously fits that sort of rather jumbled, rather complicated club-trained player criteria, which is something the club would look at for the Champions League.
03:02So, you get rid of John Ruddy, bring in Fraser Forster.
03:05It's probably an upgrade and also benefits the club in terms of the club-trained player criteria as well.
03:13So, that would be a no-brainer if that indeed comes off, but wait and see with John Ruddy and then also Callum Wilson as well.
03:21Because Callum Wilson, a player I very much liked by Eddie Howe, but started two Premier League games last year and been over a year since his last Premier League goal.
03:31He's been a great servant of the club.
03:32He's the third all-time Premier League goal scorer behind Alan Shearer and Alexander Isak.
03:37He's a very good company and more than repaid the £20 million Newcastle paid for him back in 2020, even though he has had a Newcastle career sort of plagued by injuries, recurring injuries now and again.
03:54And those have rid their head quite significantly over the past couple of seasons.
03:57But, I think he's a player who we saw after the Everton game, the way he was received by the Newcastle supporters, he gave a solo lap of honour.
04:07He looked emotional, applauding the fans on his own, which sort of looked like a goodbye.
04:13And he will leave the club, if he does indeed leave the club.
04:17I'd expect him to leave the club, and if he does, he's one who will be remembered very fondly given his services to the club.
04:23You look at the last time Newcastle qualified for the Champions League, 18 goals that season, kept Alexander Isak out of the team, which takes some doing, as we now know.
04:33And, yeah, I think Callum Wilson, great servant of Newcastle, and would leave with the club's best wishes, and with the best wishes of all Newcastle supporters.
04:43The only thing is, if he then gets a new deal, where does that leave Newcastle in terms of the hunt first striker?
04:51Because that's an area of the squad, if Callum Wilson does indeed leave, they'll be looking to press on with.
04:57So, wait and see on Callum Wilson. I'd expect him to leave.
05:01John Ruddy, same.
05:03But then, what is clear from the club?
05:05Mark Gillespie's staying.
05:06Lloyd Kelly's leaving.
05:07And Jamal Lewis is leaving.
05:09So, that's the update from the club.
05:11You can read my report, and all the fallout from it, and all the general transfer news, and things like that, surrounding Newcastle United, in this early stage in the summer transfer window, over on the ShieldsGazette.com.
05:24And you can also follow myself, at DomSker on X, for all your latest Newcastle United news and updates.
05:31Cheers.