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Newcastle finally dumps Obafemi, others Monday, June 8, 2009 NEWCASTLE United has finally let off Nigerian international, Obafemi Martins, among other players who earn more than £50,000 a week at the club. advertisement Apparently preparing for life in the Championship, Newcastle board has appointed super agent, First Artists last week to begin a sale of the mega-buck earners who took the club to relegation. The Toon have 15 players on more than £50,000 a week and the agency has been told to offload as many as possible. First on the hitlist to go is the Nigerian international who scored five goals in the season. Others to join the petit Nigerian include Fabricio Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Jonas Gutierrez and Joey Barton. Martins, 25, joined Newcastle on August 24, 2006, from Inter Milan for £10.1 million, for a five-year deal. He made his debut on August 27, 2006 in the 2–0 defeat to Aston Villa, in which he was stretchered off after a knee injury. The agency will work closely with brokers, Seymour Pierce, in a bid to put the club in a better shape for the two consortia looking to take control. "They have offices all around the world," said a source. "They are seen as the ideal people to cut the playing staff. They are strong in Europe. The banks trust them. "Newcastle is hopeful it can claw back £20m by releasing those five. Fiorentina wants Coloccini, Atletico Madrid has asked about Enrique and Barton could end up at Portsmouth. Fed-up St James' Park owner, Mike Ashley, promised bank chiefs last week that there would be a huge cull of a playing staff that costs £70m a year. Sport of the World revealed that Ashley and Newcastle were given an extended overdraft by Barclays, although at a reduced rate from the original £40m facility, down to around £30m. That will hasten a takeover which could be completed by next month. One party looking to take control from Ashley is American based and the other has North East businessmen at its core. Ashley will leave having lost £150m in two years. By Tunde Ogunesan with Agency reports