**Ross Wilson recently joined Newcastle United as the new sporting director, and the former Nottingham Forest man has plenty of work to keep him occupied.**
With January fast approaching, there'll be plenty of talks about potential transfer targets, but at the same time, there are decisions to be made on existing squad members and their immediate future.
One such player is Kieran Trippier, whose current deal expires in the summer, meaning that if a new contract isn't incoming, January is the club's last chance to recoup any money for the 35-year-old.
Foreign clubs can approach Trippier about joining for free in the summer, too, and with Ligue 1 side Monaco reportedly keen on the former England full-back, the club has a decision to make.
Should he stay or should he go?
Will Ross Wilson sanction a new deal for 35-year-old Kieran Trippier?
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Unsurprisingly, Eddie Howe is keen to retain the services of the man who became his first signing as Newcastle boss and arguably kickstarted the Toon revolution. Without signing someone of Trippier's calibre when we did, you could make a case that other big players would not have taken the chance, namely Bruno Guimaraes.
Trippier has continued to play a vital role this season in the absence of both Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, but with both of the younger options nearing a return to fitness, Trippier will be aware that his role will be reduced.
Now, [The Chronicle](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-quash-sandro-tonali-32831599) claims that while Eddie Howe will want to keep Tripps, Ross Wilson may look at things differently, given that he is on £120,000-a-week and that will be deemed way too high a wage for someone to ride the bench.
Kieran Trippier: Stay or go?
* Keep him if he takes a pay cut
* It's time to cut him loose
Trippier will know he's not going to be getting £120k-a-week forever
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Trippier isn't stupid, though, and he'll be well aware he's in the twilight of his career now at 35 and may recognise that such a high wage for a reduced role at the club isn't realistic. Whether that means he'd be willing to take a pay cut will likely depend on what's being offered by Monaco, or indeed one of the Saudi clubs who retain an interest.
The thing with Trippier is that it's not just about what he does on the pitch so much as it is his influence off it. We've often said that we'd love for Trippier to stay at the club beyond his playing years as a coach or something similar, just to keep his influence around.
We hope that Wilson and Trippier can work something out and he remains on Tyneside beyond January and indeed, beyond the summer.