As was expected, Oguchi Onyewu has been released by Newcastle and will return to former club Standard Liege as part of the summer shakeout directed by Sam Allardyce, the Magpies new boss. Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Pavel Srnicek and Olivier Bernard were also released, with Celestine Babayaro, Antoine Sibierski, Stephen Carr and Charles N'Zogbia expected to follow.

Gooch never settled at St. James' Park after his January move from Standard Liege, and following the departure of Glenn Roeder his loan move was never expected to be made permanent. On Tuesday, Allardyce was signed to a three-year deal worth approximately $6 million per year, and several players have already been targeted as potential summer acquisitions, including Tal Ben Haim of Allardyce's former club Bolton, Aston Villa's Lloyd Samuel and Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell.

Meanwhile, Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd brushed aside suggestions the club would be sold to an American buyer over the summer. "None of these talks came to anything because I'm not selling," he said. "It's an impossible club to buy."

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