Newcastle United have sent several players to the chopping block since Eddie Howe arrived in 2021.
The Magpies have endured so much change over the last three years with the new owners, with several departures complementing the arrivals in that time.
Eddie Howe has overseen that period of change, bringing in players who fit his fast, attacking style of football. As a result, that means that former fan favourites have had to leave the club in order to free up space in the squad and the wage bill.
Within those favourites were less favourable players who were completely frozen out as soon as Howe arrived. The likes of Jeff Hendrick were barely seen again for Newcastle after Steve Bruce was sacked. Hendrick joined Derby County in March after almost a year as a free agent following his Newcastle release last summer.
Out of those players who have left, very few of them have forged good careers for themselves.
The Magpies are preparing for their Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday, former Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez will surely be watching the two clubs he used to manage closely. Another player, who was signed by Benitez at Newcastle happened to play for both clubs. Sadly for him, things have not been the best since leaving.
Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images
Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images
Javier Manquillo’s woes after leaving Newcastle United
Defender Javier Manquillo left Newcastle in January 2024 after failing to make an appearance under Howe during the 2023/24 campaign. Manquillo joined the Magpies in 2017 from Atletico Madrid, originally on a three-and-a-half-year deal which was extended in 2020.
The highlight for Manquillo will undoubtedly be his goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but his time on Tyneside was largely uninspiring. However, Manquillo can be thanked for one special solo run against Leeds United that helped take Newcastle out of a 14-game winless run, kickstarting their dramatic rise up the Premier League table.
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Manquillo reunited with Benitez at Celta Vigo after leaving Newcastle with the former, but things quickly started going pear-shaped when the former Benitez was sacked by Celta in March 2024 leaving his career at the La Liga side in limbo.
The 30-year-old ended up featuring frequently until the end of the season, guiding them away from the relegation zone. This season, things are completely different with Manquillo completely frozen out of the squad. Manquillo has played just 30 minutes of La Liga football this season and hasn’t been part of any of Celta’s matchday squads since the end of January.
The reason for his lack of appearances seems to be due to an issue behind the scenes, with current Celta manager Claudio Giráldez telling El Luguero in February: “It’s not ideal for such reactions to be public, but these are normal occurrences in football. Players want to play.”
What Rafa Benitez said has said about Javier Manquillo
Manquillo made 110 appearances for Newcastle throughout his seven years on Tyneside, with a good amount of them coming under Benitez.
The Spaniard spent a lot of time rivalling Deandre Yedlin for a spot at right-back throughout his Newcastle career, something Benitez was a fan of.
In a 2017 conversation with the Northern Echo, Benitez was convinced Manquillo would become a quality player in the future.
Like Jacob Murphy, Manquillo is another young player,” said the Newcastle boss. “He can play both sides of the defence, and he has a lot of motivation because he knows he has a point to prove.
“He can still improve, but he has played for Spain at Under-21 level, and that is because he is a good player, so hopefully he will show that form here.”
Manquillo himself was also a big fan of Benitez, claiming his fellow countryman was the reason he moved to Tyneside.
In 2017, the Spaniard told the Northern Echo: “From the first moment that Rafa Benitez called me, I just knew that I had to come here, to such a big club.
“When I went from Real Madrid to Atletico, I was very young, so making that change was different. More recently I played for Sunderland, but now I’ve got the opportunity to join this big club, the biggest in the North East.”