Newcastle have extended the contracts of five first-team players, including winger Jacob Murphy.
Federico Fernandez and Dwight Gayle have also put pen to paper to new contracts at St James’ Park, while the club have exercised their option to renew Fabian Schar and Paul Dummett’s deals to cover the upcoming 2021/22 season.
Sky Sports News reported in June that the club wanted to tie Murphy down to a long-term contract due to strong interest from Burnley and Porto with his previous deal due to expire in June 2022.
The 26-year-old made 26 league appearances, scoring twice and setting up a further three goals as he finished the Premier League season strongly.
Murphy, Fernandez, Gayle and Dummett have all reported back for pre-season training this week, while Schär will return to Tyneside later in July after helping Switzerland to the quarter-final stage of Euro 2020.
Fabian Schar is set to return to Tyneside later in July after helping Switzerland reach the quarter-finals at Euro 2020
“I’m delighted to extend the players’ contracts,” said Newcastle boss Steve Bruce.
“They all have a thorough understanding of this club and what it takes to play here, and they have all made excellent contributions over recent years.
“The hard work preparing for the new season has already begun and we’re looking forward to building momentum as we head towards the big kick-off next month.”
Staveley: Govt must make Newcastle takeover transparent
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Amanda Staveley, the financier leading a proposed £340m takeover of Newcastle, has called on the government to ensure the Premier League’s decision over the future ownership of the club is transparent. The Premier League has declined to comment
Amanda Staveley, the financier leading a proposed £340m takeover of Newcastle United, has called on the government to action urgently in making the Premier League’s decision over the future ownership of the club transparent.
The financier is spearheading a potential takeover of the Tyneside club led by her firm PCP Capital Partners and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, with the proposal currently in the hands of an arbitration panel after their £340m bid collapsed last year.
Staveley wrote an open letter to former Conservative sports minister Tracey Crouch on Sunday, accusing the Premier League of a lack of transparency and accountability around the deal.
But with all debates due to be held internally and privately, the club are frustrated at the lack of updates on the process and Staveley says it is in the government’s best interests to increase the transparency within the organisation and make all debates around football ownership public.
Amanda Staveley has been left frustrated by the Premier League’s stance during the proposed takeover of Newcastle United
“I wrote a letter urging the government and football regulators to make sure that the issues around sporting governance and arbitration around sport be held in public,” Staveley told Sky Sports News.
“We think that this is very important for fans, and particularly important for all those stakeholders in sport. Transparency is at the heart of our request, so transparency in sport is really what we’re trying to seek.
“We will never be able to see what goes on behind the scenes unless journalists and particularly the fans are able to really examine the materials held in these forums.”
