Newcastle willing to sell striker Daryl Murphy this summer

Premier League-bound Newcastle United are willing to listen to offers for striker Daryl Murphy this summer, according to The Northern Echo.

The 34-year-old only moved to St James’ Park last summer after three hugely successful years at Ipswich Town, in which time he netted 50 goals in 133 games for the Tractor Boys to help them to three consecutive top half finishes in the Championship.

And although he scored five goals in the second tier for Rafa Benitez’s men last season, his tally of just 15 appearances, of which only seven were starts, indicates that he is far from the first choice at the North East giants, and is likely to fall further down the pecking order once the summer has concluded.

And reports suggest that Benitez and the Newcastle hierarchy will consider selling the Republic of Ireland international this summer, as the former Chelsea and Real Madrid chief looks to build a squad capable of being competitive in the Premier League next season.

The Magpies secured an immediate return to the top tier following 29 wins from their 46 matches, pipping Chris Hughton’s Brighton to the title and finishing a comfortable nine points clear of third place Reading.

However, Benitez’s men did often rely on the goals of striker Dwight Gayle to get them through the campaign, with his tally of 23 Championship strikes 14 more than Ayoze Perez, and totalling more than Perez, Murphy, and Aleksandar Mitrovic put together.

Thus, it’s not overly surprising to see Murphy up for sale despite just one year in the North East, but given his efforts for them as well as those for Ipswich in the past, he’d be a shrewd signing for many sides looking to get out of the second tier.