The Newcastle Jets have announced wholesale changes to their squad for next season with six players today departing the club.
The Jets revealed coach Scott Miller together with interim CEO Mr David Eland met individually with off contract players following the club’s annual awards night.
NEWS: Birighitti sweeps Jets’ awards
Subsequent to these meetings, Enver Alivodic, Leonardo, Cameron Watson, Ryan Kitto, Brandon Lundy and Josh Barresi will each depart Newcastle ahead of season 12 of the Hyundai A-League.
Alivodic joined the Jets in February 2015 and made 35 A-League appearances throughout his season and a half stay with the club, contributing four goals.
Leonardo linked with Newcastle in August last year. The diminutive Brazilian attacking midfielder made 20 appearances throughout the club’s 2015/16 campaign, scoring one goal.
Midfielder Watson joined the Jets in July 2015 and made 17 A-League appearances throughout his time at the club, 12 of which were starts.
Attacker Kitto signed with Newcastle as an injury replacement player for Labinot Haliti in November 2015 and went on to make 18 appearances for the club, scoring two goals.
19-year-old forward Lundy has been a member of the club’s first team squad on a youth contract since 2014. He made three Hyundai A-League and two Westfield FFA Cup appearances during his time as a senior squad member.
Barresi linked with Newcastle in 2014 from Western Sydney Wanderers’ youth team. He suffered an unfortunate season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his first year with the club, but recovered to feature for the Jets’ youth squad throughout 2015/16.
The announcement gives Miller plenty of scope to overhaul his Jets squad heading into his second season at the helm but the club gave no indication as to what players or positions they intend to target in the off-season transfer window.
“We are being prudent and are being very careful in relation to the visa players in particular,” interim CEO David Eland told the Newcastle Herald.
“We want to make sure we are positioned to take advantage of new ownership if that happens.
“There are a lot of irons in the fire and we are ready to make moves at the appropriate time.”
