The Sun is reporting that Newcastle have turned down a bid from Anderlecht for Matz Sels.
The Belgian club wanted both Chancel Mbemba and Matz Sels for a bargain £8M, but Newcastle also turned that down with Mbemba now talking with Porto about a possible move to the Portuguese Champions.
We would expect Newcastle will want at least £8M for Mbemba.
The £1.75M offer was probably the first offer made for Sels alone, and it’s said to be £500K short of Newcastle’s valuation of £2.25M.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper had a good loan spell for Anderlecht last season, and both the club and the player are anxious to complete the deal.
But Newcastle will not be giving their players away in a transfer market that has increased in value over the last two years.
Anderlecht are refusing to increase their offer beyond £1.75M so things are at an impasse at the moment and there’s a real possibility that Anderlecht could simply walk away from the deal.
There is no future at Newcastle for Matz Sels and Newcastle must sell some of their top wage earners to get costs under control before new players come into the club this summer.
Rafa will be keen to see players sold for reasonable amounts and that some of his top targets will arrive at the club before too long.
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
RobLeenio
Jun 13, 2018 at 1:18 PM
Comment #1£8m for 2 Premier League players in 2018? What’s that, buy one get one free?
Who do they think we are, Sports Direct?
Oh….
Pottsclock
Jun 13, 2018 at 1:22 PM
Comment #2I think they’re taking the p*ss at £8m for two.
lesh
Jun 13, 2018 at 1:31 PM
Comment #3RobLeenio
Anderlecht’s taken a leaf out of the Ashley guide to buying – bid low then threaten to walk away.
And, with regard to your earlier post about the eerie silence from SJP, I reckon we’re seeing a war of attrition between Ashley and Rafa. Rafa’s set his stall out, albeit too publicly for my liking, and Ashley’s having none of it.
Rafa’s gone off on holiday, resigned to the likelihood that Ashley’ll not budge, work with what he has and try to buy what he thinks necessary – subject to Ashley’s ok or otherwise. Without a budget which Ashley reportedly said he wouldn’t give if Rafa didn’t sign up,
Rafa’s,working blind, shrug his shoulders without getting uptight philosophically thinking along the lines of ‘it’s your [Ashley’s] club and can’t be held responsible if it’s relegated’. Rafa’ll run his contract down and walk away, head held high.
Mag52
Jun 13, 2018 at 1:35 PM
Comment #4Spain have sacked their manager a day before WC begins.
RobLeenio
Jun 13, 2018 at 1:58 PM
Comment #5lesh, taking your post as gospel for a moment, in terms of logic from the owner’s point of view, you can kinda see Ashley’s point. He doesn’t want to be spending money revamping the squad without assurances that the person carrying out the revamp is 100% committed to the project, otherwise he could be throwing money away.
What all of us can see and he apparently cannot, sadly, is that Rafa is a World-class manager, whereas he is distinctly not a World-class owner and he should therefore be doing everything in his power to persuade Rafa to stay.
Time will tell, but I do wish something would happen, anything to prove there is still some life in the club yet.
DubaiMicky
Jun 13, 2018 at 2:02 PM
Comment #6I wonder what the odds are of Rafa being next permanent manager of Spain – and who can blame him if he is.
That said, I agree with RobLeenio in his post above and sadly can see Ashley’s negotiating tactics.
If, and I hate to say this but I can see it happening, Rafa takes on the Spain role, then what next for us?
Doesn’t the alleged penalty clause lapse after 2 of the 3 years? If so Ashley will get nothing.
Pottsclock
Jun 13, 2018 at 2:14 PM
Comment #7I think Rafa likes projects – things where he can get involved with on a day-to-day basis and influence and develop players. What would the project with Spain be…they are already near the finished product? Any competent manager and with the minimum of effort should get Spain to the quarter finals of a WC and probably the semis depending upon the draw.
The role of national manager does not have the player development aspects that Rafa seems to relish and it’s a very different type of role to a club manager. Therefore I’m not sure Rafa would be interested. Maybe in 5 years time when his energy levels are a bit different.
Fingers crossed…
magic hat
Jun 13, 2018 at 2:27 PM
Comment #8Let them pay his wages for another year with a £1m loan fee. And option to buy.
magic hat
Jun 13, 2018 at 2:29 PM
Comment #9We could just as easy keep him as a reserve keeper, and move darlow or Elliot on.
magic hat
Jun 13, 2018 at 2:29 PM
Comment #10Hopefully mbemba will get his move for a decent fee.
lesh
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:01 PM
Comment #11RobL, Dubai
Yes, I understand if Ashley weren’t prepared to commit a lot without the comfort if knowing Rafa’s staying a while longer. But, and I’m assuming this to be the case, Ashley’s apparent lack of direct dialogue with Rafa won’t help break the seeming impasse.
Rafa knows that Charnley’s little more than Ashley’s mouthpiece and has little or authority to negotiate and that being so, if Ashley were keen to move things on, he should make the effort to speak to Rafa, face-to-face and at least listen to his proposals. Or is Ashley too high and mighty to do that?
supermac69
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:13 PM
Comment #12Forest to buy carvho from Porto for 13m eh……?? Wtf are we doing man, got to be a wind surely..!
Jail for Ashley
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:15 PM
Comment #13RobLeenio,
So for Rafa to be 100% committed to the project in Ashleys eyes, he has to sign a new deal that most likely contains none of the assurances he requires and leaves him to be hung out to dry….again!
Jib
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:17 PM
Comment #14Fernando Hierro appointed as manager
with the experienced Luis Enrique advising
in the background.
Spain’s appointment of a manager is affected
somewhat by regional tensions.
Jib
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:23 PM
Comment #15Porto don’t have a Carvalho
Sporting have William Carvalho ex Chelsea
However Forest have bought Joao Carvalho from Benfica
Nice try supermac 69
Spoof
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:28 PM
Comment #16So the transfer budget is similar to last seasons, so no progress then, I was going to say that Rafa is not a miracle worker but keeping our second rate squad up last season was in my eyes miraculous, but can he do it again, will Lascellas and Shelvey want to move on to bigger and better, will Rafa take the Spain job, he’s already expressed his desire to do so before he retires, what better reason to break a contract can you get, doing it for your country, tell you what, there are a lot of ifs and buts in what I’ve just said, but I’m going to stick a grand on us going down, sadly I really can see us imploding.
RobLeenio
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:29 PM
Comment #17Jail, I didn’t say it was right or logical, just that may be the way that Ashley sees it, based on a scenario which lesh put forward.
ashleysmate
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:34 PM
Comment #18Just to touch on old ground…sorry….but has anyone heard anything lately about MS stavely and her rich partners?…personally I think it’s been one fat hoax from the start, with the sole aim to wind the geordie nation up, just for the hell of it.
Ashley hasn’t got a clue how to run a club or even how to conduct himself in a professional manner.
He will never give up NUFC because it’s a cash cow and he loves winding us up….simple as.
Tosun A. Wobbler
Jun 13, 2018 at 3:42 PM
Comment #19Rob/Jail…In the dark recesses of my memory (and they are dark) I think I remember some hack reporting that Mike Ashley would agree to Rafa’s ambitions IF Rafa agreed a new contract first. Fiction I’m sure, or if not, a sure fire non-starter. “Take that with as many grains of acid as you like”.
Graeme
Jun 13, 2018 at 10:50 PM
Comment #20Winding the fans up is just part of the story though. Whacking the prices up, for season tickets, without signing players or Manager is surely a piss take – yet how many haven’t renewed?? They all will, regardless!!