Newport County are once again fighting for promotion in Sky Bet League Two, with them sixth in the table from 40 games played.

The Exiles have flirted with promotion on several occasions in recent years and came particularly close back in 2019 as the made the play-off final, though it was Tranmere Rovers who ultimately took the prize of a spot in League One at Wembley.

Indeed, County will be looking to go one better than that with a top seven spot looking more likely than a top three place at the moment but, regardless of division for next season, it'll likely be a busy summer in terms of incomings and outgoings.

With that in mind, then, we're taking a look at eight players that could well make an exit from Rodney Parade this summer for various reasons...

Kyle Howkins looks set to be leaving the club this summer as his contract winds down.

The defender has joined Solihull Moors on loan this season and it looks as though he'll be looking for a new club this summer transfer window, judging by comments from County manager Michael Flynn.

He said of the towering centre-half:

“He wasn't in my plans and needs to go and play football to get his career back on track.”

A Midlander, Howkins is a bit nearer home now he has linked up with Solihull.

Ashley Baker is a player once on Sheffield Wednesday's books but he has struggled for game time and there's every chance he moves on from Newport in the summer transfer window.

He said back in January he wanted to remain at County to fight for a spot in the side but game-time has been limited for him and there's surely only a certain amount of time he's willing to keep battling for a spot before thinking a new club might be the best avenue to go down.

Certainly, that's a decision we'll have to look out for from Baker who was once quite highly thought of at Hillsborough.

Tristan Abrahams has spent his season on loan at Leyton Orient and could well be a player that ends up leaving Newport in the summer transfer window.

Orient are a club he has been with on several occasions before in his career and it could well be the case he's open to a longer spell there for next season, too.

It speaks volumes that both County and Orient were willing to extend the loan deal for the rest of the season back in the January window and Abrahams has made his feelings clear, saying to the official Orient site back in February:

“I’m buzzing. I’m so happy to be back, this is my home,

Daniel Leadbitter is out on loan with Gloucester City and it is fair to make a claim that he might not be with Newport County next season.

He's not featured much for County since arriving in 2019 and a spell at Yeovil Town was also sanctioned earlier on in this campaign so it could be the case the Exiles see his level more at the sharp end of non-league rather than in the EFL.

At the age of 30 he'll just want to be playing somewhere where he can get regular football and that will be the aim for him this summer when weighing up his future.

Robbie Willmott is currently on loan at fellow League Two side Exeter City and it remains to be seen if Newport are willing to let him go full-time and, indeed, if the Grecians want to keep him or if another side wants to come in.

He's said that he has felt invigorated since moving to the south-west side and whether that means he is now wanting to stay at St James Park for longer remains to be seen.

He's a handy player when on form and will want to be playing somewhere where he can continue to get the best out of himself.

Corey Whitely is currently on loan at non-league side Boreham Wood having headed there back in August last year.

It's a club he'll be familiar with, too, having come through there as a kid initially and after a spell of limited game-time at County before joining them last summer - with other loan spells also taking place - he could well be open to something more permanent.

He's in his prime years as a forward and will naturally want first-team assurances with whoever he plays for next season so a decision could well be on the horizon that sees him leave Wales.

Josh Sheehan has had a fine campaign for Newport and is now a Wales international.

His contract is expiring at the end of the season, though, and there's every chance he moves on from Rodney Parade in the next transfer market.

Of course, he'll want to help the Exiles into League One before making any decision but it does seem at least possible that he'll be moving on from south Wales in the coming months.

Time will tell.

Tom King is the number two goalkeeper behind Nick Townsend and that always generates question marks over a player's future when that is the case.

King is a player that is in his mid-20s and will want to be playing regular football now, so it remains to be seen what his future might hold in the summer.

If he does leave Newport, though, he'll still have the memories from earlier this year where he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for longest football goal after his goal-kick against Cheltenham Town.