Newcastle United's 2025 League Cup triumph feels like a distant memory now. That 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Wembley ended a 70-year wait for major silverware and was supposed to launch a new era of success. However, the team that lifted the trophy is now breaking up, with Sunday's final home game potentially serving as a farewell for several influential figures.

Alexander Isak left for Liverpool in a British record £125m deal last September, while Kieran Trippier is departing this summer. Fabian Schär is in the final weeks of his contract, Anthony Gordon has attracted formal interest from Bayern Munich, and there are question marks over Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali. A club that finished 13th in the Premier League now faces another rebuild.

The chaos began last summer when sporting director Paul Mitchell left days into Eddie Howe's family holiday, with chief executive Darren Eales already on medical leave. With no executive leadership during the most pivotal transfer window, Newcastle scrambled. They raised £65m by selling Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to comply with profit and sustainability rules, then spent £124m on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.

New sporting director Ross Wilson and chief executive David Hopkinson are now in place, with the club aiming for smarter, faster recruitment decisions. "If a big signing leaves the football club, there will be a dent to us," Howe said. "That's why they're the players that are valued the most."