MOUSSA SISSOKO is set to follow Georginio Wijnaldum out of St James’ Park – and is not due to begin pre-season training with Newcastle United until four days before the start of the new Championship season.

Sissoko is currently on an extended break in the wake of his international exploits with France at Euro 2016, and after tweeting that he was about to head off on his “second holiday” of the summer, the French midfielder is not due to report back to Newcastle’s Longbenton training base until August 1.

That effectively rules him out of the start of the new Football League season, with Newcastle due to take on Fulham in their opening Championship fixture on August 5, but Sissoko could already have left the Magpies permanently by the time they kick off life in the second tier.

Georginio Wijnaldum is set to complete a £25m move to Liverpool within the next 24 hours, and Sissoko could follow him out of the exit door with Juventus and Everton both set to bid for the £35m-rated midfielder.

Juventus’ interest is dependent on the proposed sale of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, and if the Frenchman completes a £100m move to Old Trafford, his current Italian employers will move quicky in an attempt to reinvest a significant portion of the fee into the purchase of Sissoko.

New Everton boss Ronald Koeman has identified Sissoko as one his preferred targets, and is expected to underline his interest in a planned meeting with senior club officials later today.

Everton’s new billionaire major shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, has pledged to back Koeman in the transfer market this summer, but the Goodison Park club are still to sign a single outfield player since Roberto Martinez left at the end of last season.

Sissoko’s capture would be a significant statement of intent, and while Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez continues to publicly insist he does not want to lose the Frenchman, there is a private acceptance that he is likely to be one of the players who will move on this summer.

The situation should become clearer in the next week or so, although as things stand, Sissoko is still expected to return to training on Tyneside at the start of next month.

Benitez said: ““Moussa is due to report back on August 1. He will report back like everybody else has, and then we will go from there.

“We will see him on the first of August, but until then it is not really worth talking about anything because he is not here.”