Deal or no deal top of Hopkinson's list

NEW Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson won't have much time to get used to the day-to-day running of the Magpies before major decisions will need to be made.

- By STUART JAMIESON

The former Real Madrid chief officially took over from Darren Eales on Friday, in what the club hopes will be an exciting new chapter in their history.

The need to develop St James' Park - or build a brand new stadium - is one of the key items on his agenda, but while much of the playing side of the business will be left to Eddie Howe and a potential new sporting director, Hopkinson could still be involved in some major decisions. Not least who gets a new contract, and what they will entail, with eight players seeing their current deals run out in 2026.

That means they will be free to talk to other clubs in January, and could potentially leave for free next summer. Here are the players most pressing when it comes to contract decisions.

Kieran Trippier

No one can doubt the impact Trippier has made at Newcastle since signing from Atletico Madrid in 2022. He was the first new arrival following the takeover and set the tone of what was required on the pitch. Three-and-a-half years on, he continues to play an important role in Howe's squad, and with just three first-team fullbacks in the picture, that's not likely to change.