There’s a report in the Belgian news outlet Het Nieuwsblad that Newcastle is ready to pay £16.5M for transfer target million Dennis Praet this summer.
But the bad news is that his club Sampdoria wants a couple of million more and the Italian club want around £18.4M for their star.
But after last night’s third defeat in three games – this time a 3-2 loss in extra time to Championship club Nottingham Forest in the League Cup, you would think Newcastle would be willing to pay the extra money and get that deal struck now.
That’s especially true with Everton reported ready to scuttle the Newcastle deal, although the Goodison Park club seems to have plenty of midfield stars in their squad already.
But this is how Newcastle miss out on a lot of our targets – they will not go that extra mile and pay a little bit over the odds for their targets, so it’s not at all clear we can win the race to sign Praet.
So it’s not at all clear we can win the race to sign Praet.
Dennis Praet available for another £2M
But Newcastle may be sorry at the end of this season if for £2M more we could have had Praet playing for the side to save us from yet another relegation.
Newcastle lost out on around £100M last year when we were relegated and came straight back up, but that wouldn’t be automatic if we are relegated next May.
One reason for that is there’s no way Rafa Benitez would stay with us if we went down again, and he’s already unhappy with the class of players we have been able to afford this summer.
The fee being asked is a lot, but that’s Newcastle’s choice.
Penny-pinch and fail to get Praet into the club and risk once again facing a relegation fight and possibly losing out once again on big money in the Premier League.
Mike Ashley and company need to look at the big picture and not on each individual deal, which we seem to have done in the past.
Newcastle needs to show some ambition like Everton have shown this summer, and go all out in the last week of the transfer window and get some good players through the door.
And surely we can borrow on the over £100M we will be getting next May from the Premier League and buy some decent players in the last week of this transfer window?
But we’re not sure that’s what the Newcastle hierarchy will do – they certainly have been unwilling to do that in the past.
After the first three results this season we desperately need some good players through the door in the next week.
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
john tudor
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:26 AM
Comment #1Not a chance
catchy in norway
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:33 AM
Comment #2i’m sure Tom Cairney would be cheaper.
posada
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:42 AM
Comment #3Here we go again.
Either pay the money or walk away.
This will depend on Ding Dong going I would think.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:43 AM
Comment #4Morning Ron…
Rumours has it Praet’s release clause is at £22.8M which is closer to £7M more than what we have bid…if we believe the media.
Penny pinching is when you can afford something but tries to save a few penny which could loose you the deal…
This is more a case of – again – trying to buy a Porsche but you can only afford a WW!
Jail for Ashley
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:44 AM
Comment #5manxpie,
Not really that strange that I’d gone quiet, it was after midnight and past my bed time. You’ve got me mixed up with someone else if you think I’ve blamed the last ten years debacle on the managers, I’ve always said that Mcardew was just a symptom rather than the cause. As for the team last night we are in a relegation battle whether we like it or not and have a limited number of PL quality players, three of whom are injured or suspended already. Last night was a chance for players to prove themselves, it wasn’t a team full of kids.
posada
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:49 AM
Comment #6I don’t have a lot of faith in Rafa’s recruitment.
Last summer we made a bid for Hanley.
Over 4 or 5 weeks we were bid up and up by his club.
During all that time many supporters were saying what do we want him for.
He’s slow, he’s this he’s that.
Now we want rid and there is no Q of clubs waving their cheque books and wanting to sign him.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:50 AM
Comment #7This season is going to be the exact opposite of last season where we bought experienced quality championship players…
This season we haven’t bought one experienced quality PL player…the keyword here is quality to those of you who cannot resist…you know who you are!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:55 AM
Comment #8Posada…the thing I don’t get about the Hanley signing is that he was offered a 5 year deal…
…if we take Rafa on his words then he basically said not long ago that they bought players just to help us gain promotion and the players knew that…they knew they would be moved along…so why a 5 year deal?
And this doesn’t explain neither Sels nor Lazaar…no experience in the Championship what so ever…
We have a few buys this season as well that are strange to me…hence why I think this season will probably the the exact opposite of last season
carl
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:57 AM
Comment #9Wow!
Typical that the non discerning football fan Tuff posts the same comments twice to simply say that Benitez can’t polish a turd.
Onto the football and the brighter side it’s good to learn that de Jong, Rivera and Lazaar are all leaving to free up space for signings.
Aside from Tuff there is far too much negativity and constant comments focusing on us not making more signings. Tuff will know that Sunderland had a similar atmosphere at this time last season.
A way to conduct your affairs as a football club was Burnley last season who proved positivity can be an effective substitute for a lack of signings.
My own view as a Rafa fan and regular watcher of the team is that he should stop focussing on the transfer market debacles, remind himself that his squad won the Championship. We are on paper, arguably better than Burnley, Swansea, Brighton and Huddersfield. He’s far better off working on his strengths asa tactician we’ve a big game on Saturday.
Oh and Tuff please don’t respond and no more talk of olive branches.
I want to come on here to talk football with the like minded.
toon kk
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:58 AM
Comment #10It’s not just about getting new players in its about Rafa changing his attitude and trying different formations. Although we really do lack quality.
Rafa has spent 30plus mil on potential, he only has himself to blame for that.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:58 AM
Comment #11Posada,
We were in the Championship, it was not easy to attract PL quality while down there.
posada
Aug 24, 2017 at 8:01 AM
Comment #12Jesper
Theres a lot that does not add up.
You can’t say we bought players to get us up and now they are not good enough.
For the simple reason that you cannot change your whole playing squad in one window.
Brighton arent etc.
It’s an excuse and a poor one.
many will be taken in by it.
carl
Aug 24, 2017 at 8:05 AM
Comment #13Also it’s obvious that Murphy is simply trying too hard. So please let’s not start criticising him. He has undoubted talent and just needs time to settle in.
Rolando looked like the player we thought he was going and still can be.
Keep the faith and an up beat support on saturday. I refuse to view it as a 6 pointer so early in the season but a win will get us all in a positive frame of mind.
Thanks for reading and don’t blame Rafa.
lochinvar
Aug 24, 2017 at 8:05 AM
Comment #14Everton linked with Praet smacks of their sugar daddy wanting to be Mr. Popular with the ladies by splashing the cash and buying everyone fizzy drinks.
If they overload their midfield then it puts more pressure on Berkley and McCarthy to move on. In that scenario we don’t want their cast offs.
Suggest Charnley signs the cheque for Praet as in now.
Then sign and make Reina match day captain.
Make Kenedy feel very welcome and make sure he plays regularly.
Not forgetting that we need a fit and menacing goal scoring striker.
Quite honestly if Charnley can’t deliver on these fronts then he should be moved to the position of Tea boy and let Rafa appoint a high flying European minded negotiator to do the job – who that is I don’t know but Rafa will.
posada
Aug 24, 2017 at 8:08 AM
Comment #15Jail
I agree, but Hanley. It was like we could not let it go.
It went on for weeks. The price going up and up.
At the end of the day he was not good enough to justify that.
He made the numbers up last year and played the odd game.
But, it’s not just his transfer fee its his wages and ongoing contract.
We are trying to shift duds, but at least 3 were signed by Rafa.
I’ll bet you Old Man Carr will still be in Ashleys ear. He’ll be saying look Mike he’s not doing any better than I did.
john tudor
Aug 24, 2017 at 8:21 AM
Comment #16Carl it certainly is a 6 pointer coz if we don’t beat them at home we won’t beat them away
dig-n-dig22
Aug 24, 2017 at 8:33 AM
Comment #17If NUFC want to stay in the Prem ,then we need a big cash injection of at least £50 Mill now, It’s a no brainer, unfortunately we have an owner with no brains, If we face the drop again next May again then we say goodbye to the big time and this time we won’t be coming back anytime soon.
dig-n-dig22
Aug 24, 2017 at 9:31 AM
Comment #18Lochinvar #14
I don’t want to give the impression that I am a pessimist but if the story is true that Everton are prepared to match our price for Praet, where do you think he would rather move to, we never feel the need to close a deal quickly and that alerts other clubs, unfortunately, we are well down the pecking order these day’s. TBH I think the same situation has happened with the Kennedy loan deal, don’t be surprised if he is holding out for a better move elsewhere.
NUFCadon
Aug 24, 2017 at 10:23 AM
Comment #19dig-n-dig22,
Totally Agree! we need to be closing theses deals quick! However, I think (don’t know) the Kennedy loan is stringing out so long because we are trying to negotiate a price for an option to buy
Moonraker15
Aug 24, 2017 at 7:08 PM
Comment #20Carl
Two things you’ve omitted to mention about Rafa; firstly we wouldn’t have got promoted without him and his signings like Ritchie, Gayle and Atsu. Secondly if he hadn’t stood up to Ashley, who obviously misled him about transfer funds, then we would still have Carr buying French non entities like Saivet and Rivière and would have no chance. I think we’ll finish mid table and go on to greater things. Ashley knows he needs Rafa otherwise the house of cards collapses.