It looks like French club Lyon is serious about trying to get Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic from Newcastle this summer.
The Northern Echo is reporting today that the French club had two forward targets lined up this summer but it looks like the other target – Eden Hazard’s brother Thorgan Hazard of Borussia Monchengladbach – will be too expensive for them.
Negotiations with the German club have forced Lyon to realize he will not be available for less than €25M (£22.3M) this summer.
There are also other clubs in the Premier League clubs who are interested in signing Thorgan Hazard and that could drive up the price beyond even €25M.
22-year-old Aleksandar Mitrovic after scoring at Preston on Saturday
If we are to believe the local news Rafa Benitez will sell Mitrovic for around €18M this summer – which is around £16M and about £3M more than we paid for him from Anderlecht two years ago.
But Mitro looked really good on Saturday in that first half at Preston and should we really be thinking of selling this player – given we are still having difficulty bringing in top players in the transfer window?
But the news is that Rafa is willing to sell Mitro this summer at the right price – based on his poor form of last season when he was not even a starter for Newcastle down in the Championship.
The report in the Northern Echo is that Lee Charnley will demand at least €20m (£17.8M) for the Serbian international, and that sounds like a more realistic price for a player who has obvious potential.
In his two year career at Newcastle Mitro has played 65 games for us and scored 15 goals and had 10 assists.
What do think about this?
Comments welcome.
76 comments so far
barkel
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:45 AM
Comment #1We need to bring in at least one striker as it is, Mitro can be a frustrating player but he’s still only 22. His hold up and support play is very good, he misses too many chances but that can be worked on. I would be sad to see him leave
Budge123
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:46 AM
Comment #2If there is any truth in this then worthwhile replacements must be lined up surely?
I personally wouldn’t object to selling Mitro but it makes the need for 2 strikes coming in imperative.
Interesting times!
Mr Funk
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:47 AM
Comment #3What price would make it a good deal for Mitrovic?
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:49 AM
Comment #4I think it’s fair to say that if Rafa sells him then there’s already at least one replacement lined up to come in. He won’t sell him if it means leaving us without any cover at all.
If he’s going to stay he needs to reproduce the form from Saturday on a regular basis and not just once in a blue moon.
Munster Mag
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:50 AM
Comment #5I wouldn’t sell him. 20 mill euro isn’t going to do much for us and he gives us height options. Nobody seems to want to join us so let’s not lose our better players. I still think Saint has potential. It’s looking like a bottom 6 for us unless things start to move. I don’t know why people are saying that the market will calm down in a few weeks. Doesn’t really make sense. Just how small is our budget?
Munster Mag
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:51 AM
Comment #6Saint=saivet
Veltman
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:55 AM
Comment #7Aye, sell him.Can’t see him improving.I want Andy Caroll back.If someone offers that figure, they should snap their hands off without thinking twice.
jazzyp
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:55 AM
Comment #8I would have thought Rafa has a replacement lined up to drop in to Mitro’s boots.
Had a season in the Pl and another in the Championship. A success or failure, I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:56 AM
Comment #9Munster, nobody knows how much the budget is and anybody claiming they do is telling porkies. 🙂 Nor will we show our hand either, so only time will tell.
I’m still confident we’ll bring good players in for decent money though, because we’ve spent very little so far. Whatever the budget was it’s still pretty much intact.
Blofal
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:58 AM
Comment #10I we sold Mitro I would want a buy back clause of $30m. Everyone else is doing it and he’s too young to just throw away
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:03 AM
Comment #11Veltman, I’ve always had a feeling we might see the big lad in black and white again mate. I base that on absolutely nothing to be honest, just a feeling about unfinished business. He wasn’t keen on leaving in the first place but that money was too much to say no to.
The only drawback is his fitness problems, which can’t be ignored when deciding on a potential transfer. There’s no doubt that when he’s on form he’s unplayable.
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:04 AM
Comment #12Sell!
Put a clause in his contract, that he can never again play against Wales 😮
Thorgan Hazard sounds like one of G2’s Belgian midget strikers who likes playing on the defenders’ shoulders. Get him and put him on Lejeune’s shoulders 😛
lochinvar
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:04 AM
Comment #13With all the talk of “buy back” clauses it would be negligent of Charnley not to have one with Everton for Lewis Gibson and/or a % fee fir any sell on deal.
Just hope NUFC are displaying the same steel in negotiations that other clubs seem to be doing.
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:05 AM
Comment #14How much is AC on at Wet Spam, though? How long is his contract?
And would that mean he’d be gunning for Dwight’s No. 9 shirt?
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:06 AM
Comment #15And when can we have an Andy Carrol article?
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:06 AM
Comment #16Blofal, you might get your wish, but only if you change that dollar sign to euros mate!! 🙂
Markaccus
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:09 AM
Comment #17Lochinvar
Unfortunately, NUFC had no say in Gibsons move. He entered the final year of a scholarship, meaning he can sign where he likes with no conditions from us. All we get is compo of 6ml
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:10 AM
Comment #18Loch, not sure he could mate. The fee for Gibson wasn’t actually a transfer fee in the real sense of the word, it’s more compensation for the work we’ve done on him bringing him to this point in his fledgling career.
I might be wrong there and stand to be corrected, but that’s how I see it myself.
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:11 AM
Comment #19Snap Mark!!! 🙂
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:20 AM
Comment #20The only worry is that Penfold holds out for an extra custard cream and Mitro is sold too late for Rafa to get a replacement. I think Mitro is on his way. The sooner, the better.
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:22 AM
Comment #21Toontaff, probably never mate. If he’s coming the first we’ll hear about it is when he rocks up for a medical. After which we might not hear anything again because he might well fail it! 🙂
SuperShearer
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:23 AM
Comment #22Given how hard we are finding it to recruit, given we need to bring in another striker as it is to be our main striker or back up Gayle it would be STUPID to sell Mitro at this stage.
Maybe Rafa doesn’t trust him, God knows he can be frustrating…. but if Gayle gets injured, then what? Play Ritchie as a striker? Tovey? We’re not exactly bursting at the seams with goalscorers. I’d be shocked if Rafa was willing to sanction this deal unless he KNOWS, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he has players coming in that can do a job for us.
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:24 AM
Comment #23Very surprised Hanley is still here, but Mbemba has been tried at right back, so maybe Rafa’s just going to keep him?
Same with Darlow – maybe Rafa’s decided to keep Elliott and Darlow, loan out Woodman and get in an aged keeper?
Rivierre and Saivet will take some shifting – Krul, too. We will take a hit on these 3, due to wages .
Tsunki
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:27 AM
Comment #24It’s a business not a charity. Mitro needs to be moved on as he has exhausted all his chances. Shame hey ho.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:30 AM
Comment #25We done exactly the same to Everton with Gosling although he was a lot older.
Toontaff,
Not sure what’s happening with Mbemba, if he’s going to compete for RB where does Manquillo fit in, is he now Dummets direct competition, are we trying to shift Haidara.
mactoon
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:30 AM
Comment #26I disagree that £18 million is a ‘fair price’ for someone who cost £13 million and has not done enough to increase his value. As posted elsewhere, expecting to make a profit on a striker who scored only four goals in the Championship and couldn’t get a game most of the season, makes zero sense at all.
If they offer £13 million it should be accepted to provide funds for a replacement. If not, we have a player on our hands that Rafa doesn’t play and who knows he is not wanted. No sense at all. Charnley what the hell are you playing at?
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:31 AM
Comment #27Sometimes you have to take a hit on players, just to get rid and free up wages. Hard to imagine anybody paying good money for Rivierre really. Hard to imagine him leaving either because he’s on a canny screw here I believe. Might have to give him away so the club he signs for can make it worth his while. Tbh I’d be just glad to see him go.
jazzyp
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:36 AM
Comment #28Someone posted earlier that we had only spent 8 million less than West ham. But in fairness they have signed Hart, Zabaletta, Aurnatavic and Hernandez.
As of yet I would say they have done the better business as I see all the above as dropping straight in to our starting eleven, Whereas the current players we have brought in are unknown quantities in the PL
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:37 AM
Comment #29Jail, The Manikin can play either side by all accounts which make him worth what we paid for him I suppose. I think Haidara is on his way. Shame though, he can thank McManaman for ruining his career. He was one of our better players before that doylum nearly snapped his leg in two. Still angers me that Wigan’s owner and manager tried to insist it was a perfectly fair challenge.
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:41 AM
Comment #30Wet Spam will be paying them massive wages – 140k week Hernandez, probably 100k + to the other 3. Cannot see anyone getting 100k+ at the Toon in the near future. I would agree with that, too.
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:41 AM
Comment #31Toontaff, Tbf I see both Lejeune and Murphy as starters matey.
Spurs still haven’t bought anybody and neither have Stoke. Hope they stay like that, but like us I think they’re waiting for the market to start moving at a more sensible rate.
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:42 AM
Comment #32Wonder if we are putting relegation clauses into the new players’ contracts? 👿
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:43 AM
Comment #33Dangerous game to play if we get rid of Mitrovich before getting someone in.
Already got rid of Murphy
Could go pear shape like when we sold Carroll on the last day if the player does not want to come to us fails his medical or terms not good enough!!
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:45 AM
Comment #34Sigurrdson to Everton for 45m about to happen. I rate the lad, but nowhere near that price. Just shows how crazy this window is. Yet the Spanners get Chicarito for twelve million!! Where’s the consistency in this insanity?
toontaff2
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:47 AM
Comment #35Bobby, I have pointed out a few times that Stoke, Spurs, Swansea, Bournemouth, Leicester and 1 or 2 more broke their transfer records, last season.
Imbula, Sulko, Baston, Ibe, Slimani – no guarantee, throwing big money around. Stoke, Leicester and Spurs want rid, whilst Ibe has done nowt . Having waited for a response from our ITK, ‘Udders9 , I looked up Baston – has been so poor they have loaned him to Malaga!
Mr Funk
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:47 AM
Comment #36I think we can still get 3 good players in for about £40m.
I would go for Samaris, Andre Gray and Boudebouz.
jazzyp
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:48 AM
Comment #37Toontaff
I guess by that reply that was you then. I was merely pointing out that West ham irrelevant of the wage structure have signed the better players and will enhance there first team considerably, And are proven PL players.
Whether the players we have signed are dropped in to the starting 11 or not, They are an unknown quantity.
Hopefully they prove to be smash hits, But again Aurnotavic or Murphy is a no brainer
Ron Knee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:49 AM
Comment #38“Benitez has made it clear that he wants a new striker in good time before the season kicks off.” (Lee Ryder)
Cutting it fine!
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:51 AM
Comment #39Looks like Abdenour is on his way to Watford, despite his agent virtually forcing him down our throat! 🙂
martoon
Jul 25, 2017 at 9:54 AM
Comment #40Like others I think it does seem very risky selling Mitro without a replacement in place. However Rafa knows this and must have at least one striker lined up.