Newcastle winger Miguel Almiron is wanted by Everton and Fulham in a transfer battle for the Paraguay star

EVERTON and Fulham are eyeing Newcastle winger Miguel Almiron.

The Paraguayan started in eight of Toon’s last 11 games of the season but boss Eddie Howe warned there could be shock departures.

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Allan Saint-Maximin and the injured Ryan Fraser are in the pecking order ahead of Almiron, whose sale would boost the transfer fund.

Howe also hinted that some who have barely played under him could stay on Tyneside.

Left-back Jamal Lewis has not played since December with a groin injury and was left out of Newcastle’s 25-man squad in February but has a chance to shine ahead of the season.

The Mags boss said: “There are players here who haven’t played too much under me so far, who could stay and vice versa others could go.”

Howe claimed that there will be no rest for Toon’s management team and preparations for next season will begin immediately.

He added: “I was just joking with someone that planning starts at the back of the coach.

“I changed my mind and said: ‘That can wait until tomorrow!’.

“It starts immediately. You have to, the Premier League is moving so fast and the competition is so tough you have to try and get ahead of the game.

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“We’re going to try to be sensible about what we’re doing this summer. It’s a big time for us.

“I think I said when I first came in that for me appointing a sporting director is an urgent matter for the club because we need these structures that help the club improve and we work behind the scenes have a lot to improve to be the club we want to be.

“In the meantime, I’m more than capable of certain things and the transfer window [in January]I think the result was very successful.

“I enjoyed the process of how we came to this result. Everyone did a really, really good job so I’m more than happy to do it again.”

Meanwhile, talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan called Jack Grealish an “idiot” for singleing out Almiron for a joke during the title trophy celebrations.

The Citizens’ record signing bizarrely dropped the goal of Everton and Fulham during the club’s Premier League title celebrations.