Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez tells defender Massadio Haidara to find new club as talks begin with Saint-Etienne
French full-back set for Ligue 1 return after being deemed surplus to requirements by Toon chief ahead of Prem campaign
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RAFAEL BENITEZ has told Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara to find a new club.
The French full-back has been deemed surplus to requirements ahead of the Toon's Premier League return and is in talks with Ligue 1 side St Etienne.
The 24-year-old has been at the club since 2013, after joining from Nancy, and it looks like he will be on his way back to France sooner rather than later.
In his four years at Newcastle he has only made 37 first team appearances, after suffering with injuries over the last two campaigns.
Haidara started Newcastle's first pre-season game against Hearts, but was subsequently dropped for the remaining fixtures.
He is joined by a long list of players that are deemed not to have made the cut after The Magpies' promotion from the Championship.
Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul, French forward Emmanuel Riviere and midfielder Henri Saivet are all reportedly being moved on.
The players who aren't in the boss' plans have been asked to train with the academy, instead of the first team.
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Benitez said: “You have to maximise the time you have with your players so therefore if somebody has to train at the Academy it is not personal, it is professional.
“When you have too many players what you can do is talk with them straight.
“That’s what I did. I told them: 'Listen, we have too many players, my idea is this and you have to be sure you understand what we need to do.'"
Benitez as already swooped for Christian Atsu on a permanent deal this summer, while Javier Manquillo was brought in from Atletico Madrid.
While he is also targeting Arsenal's want-away forward Lucas Perez and Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez.
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