The exit doors have already swung open at St James's Park with one game left of the Premier League season to go.
And through them go Peter Ramage, Stephen Carr and James Troisi - all of them with different stories to tell about their time in Toon.
Now with talk that Kevin Keegan will trim his squad down from 27 to 22 and bring in four or five quality additions to replace those seeking pastures a summer of transfer speculation is almost upon us!
Yes paying 3 Euros for a paper just to see that we've been linked with Johnny Foreigner and sightings of top La Liga superstars outside the Clayton Street chippy in Toon are about to begin!
Firstly let's look at the cluster of departures.
Ramage leaves under a cloud of frustration after a season of injury following a knee injury at Middlesbrough back in August.
Not only was this Ramage's last season before his contract expires but his injury came at a time when Carr was already facing a stint on the sidelines.
Ramage gave everything in a black and white shirt and worked under five managers after graduating from the Academy.
Yet some Toon fans will say that he was perhaps short of the required standard.
Given Ramage's positive attitude and pride at wearing the black and white shirt that could well be harsh.
But the facts are KK wanted Ramage to stay on only for the player to opt for the exit doors in order to find himself first team football.
Carr is a different matter all together.
Some fans would have got rid of Carr two years ago with the player's alleged arrogance there for all to see at times with a gesture at the home crowd hardly going down well.
However, talk to most of his professional colleagues at St James's Park and a different story is told.
For Carr is said to be one of the hardest workers on the training field and most dedicated pros.
Sadly due to his muted approach to the media, we'll all be left to make our own conclusions when it comes to the life and times of Carr on Tyneside.
Aussie star James Troisi has also left without the majority of the Tyneside public seeing exactly what he has to offer.
Some half decent games for the reserves were as good as it got for the Aussie winger but the fact that only Dutch side Roda were the only side to show an interest recently and let him go, tells its own story.
Maybe it's too early to start speaking about incoming players but lists have been drawn up by Dennis Wise and Kevin Keegan.
The early blow to the summer that was the Modric deal, last spotted round here at the Malmaison on the Quayside before a sharp exit to the smoke, shows that there's plenty of work to be done.
KK knew this was going to be a big job, a job that is only just beginning in many ways.
WHAT'S YOUR VIEW ON THE DEPARTURES OF CARR, RAMAGE AND TROISI?
AND WHO SHOULD KK BRING IN FOR NEXT SEASON?
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