Newcastle United are currently looking to the future under their ambitious new ownership, with PIF hoping to make the Magpies a competitive outfit in the top half of the table over the coming years.

One man who seemingly does not fit with that exciting, forward-thinking approach is long-serving defender Paul Dummett, with the former Wales international somehow still on the books at St James' Park almost a decade on from making his first-team debut.

A product of the club's youth academy, the homegrown asset was handed his first senior appearance in a clash with Brighton and Hove Albion back in January 2013, before eventually becoming a regular fixture of the squad the following season.

Although he has since racked up 205 appearances for the northeast side in all competitions - featuring at both left-back and centre-back - he has become something of a forgotten figure in recent years, notably making just three league appearances last season.

The £1.35m-rated man - who has been blighted by injuries in recent years - has never truly nailed down a regular starting berth throughout his time at the club, with it perhaps telling of his quality that his most prominent role came in the Championship during the 2016/17 season, in which he made 45 league appearances, more than he has made in the last three top-flight campaigns combined (34).

As for the current season, the 6 foot 2 brute's solitary outing came in the League Cup victory over Tranmere Rovers, having failed to even make the matchday squad under manager Eddie Howe in three of the six league games thus far.

A player who has clearly been on the periphery for a number of years, it was somewhat bizarre that the versatile defender was handed a new one-year extension at the end of last season, keeping him at the club until next summer at least.

Although there is credit in the player having survived at the club through a succession of managers and while it is pleasing to see a local lad on the books, it would appear that the time has come to shift his £35k-per-week salary off the wage bill.

When Dummett's contract does come to an end in less than a year, he will seemingly have cost the Tynesiders roughy £10.6m in wages, as per FBref, with that a fairly hefty amount for a player who has never registered an assist and chipped in with just three goals in 146 top tier appearances.

That is a rather dismal tally for a full-back in the modern era, with it hard to see just what the 30-year-old is offering both Howe and Newcastle at present, nor what he has been offering over the last few years.