Newcastle are currently 18th in the Premier League table, and one of the biggest reasons behind their struggles has been their lack of quality in defence.

Only Norwich (45) have conceded more goals than the Magpies (43) in the top flight, which highlights how poor they have been at the back this season.

One of their defenders who has struggled on and off the pitch is Federico Fernandez. The £45k-per-week dud has only started five Premier League matches this term and has been unable to catch the eye when he has played, which is a far cry from where he was at the start of his career on Tyneside.

In December 2018, Transfermarkt valued him at £7.2m. This came after his final season for Swansea and the first half of his debut campaign at St. James' Park, with the centre-back averaging a solid WhoScored rating of 6.76 in the top flight with the Welsh outfit.

He then averaged a score of 6.73 with Newcastle in the Premier League in the 2019/20 campaign as he proved to be a reliable performer during that time. However, his displays have taken a nosedive since then, averaging a score of 6.64 last term and a dismal 6.37 this season. This suggests that he has been regressing over time and is not the same player he was two or three years ago.

Fernandez has also had availability issues to go along with his lack of form. He has had six separate injury or illness absences for Newcastle, with the latest one having kept him out for eight matches so far.

He missed nine games last term and it remains to be seen when he will return during the current campaign. This shows that he is now an unreliable player for Howe, both in terms of his performances on the pitch and his fitness.

It could now be time for the ex-Bournemouth boss to brutally axe Fernandez from the squad by cashing in on him at the end of the campaign. This would allow the Magpies to replace the 32-year-old ahead of the start of the 2022/23 season, with Newcastle getting rid of a player at the back end of his career.

At the time of writing (05/02/22), Transfermarkt value the Argentine at £1.8m. This is a £5.4m plummet in the space of just over three years and shows that his career may be winding down as he heads towards his mid-30s.

He is currently under contract until 2023, with an option to extend it a further 12 months, but Howe must cash in on him in the summer instead of allowing him to leave on a free transfer the following year. The end of this season could be the club's last chance to recoup some money for the defender and, for the aforementioned reasons, they should act upon that opportunity.

AND in other news, “I believe”: Luke Edwards delivers big Newcastle update which will leave Howe buzzing...