In January Feyenoord played hardball with Newcastle over our top striker target in the January transfer window.
Nicolai Jorgensen was available but at €20M (£17.7M) and Mike Ashley would not cough up the cash to buy him.
That now seems like the right decision.
Most fans were wondering at the time how he would fit into Newcastle’s style of quick breakaways since he’s not a fast player by any means and he’s not a prolific goalscorer either.
But for some reason Rafa liked what he saw – and we don’t mean that to be derogatory in any way.
Rafa often sees skills in players he can bring out with his excellent coaching at Newcastle.
But after the World Cup in Russia, it seems to have all backfired for Jorgensen and for Feyenoord with Newcastle now looking at other targets.
Nicolai Jorgensen – will Rafa still go after him?
Jorgensen did not impress at all in Russia, with the best part of his game probably being his hold up play but didn’t look much of an improvement on Joselu.
Rafa could still go after Jorgensen but only if he can get an excellent deal on the player – something less than £10M and that’s unlikely to happen.
Maybe even a loan deal with an option to buy – but that will depend on which strikers we bring in permanently this summer.
There’s little risk in a loan deal for Rafa, and if Nicolai doesn’t play well that’s one season gone by, and we don’t waste too much money on him.
The 27-year-old was desperate to join Newcastle in January with reports we would double his wages – but that’s all water under the Tyne Bridge now.
The news from the Northern Echo is that Rafa still admires Jorgensen both as a player and as a good character.
And we know Rafa always looks for good characters in the players he signs for Newcastle.
As we have seen in the last two seasons, that’s so important for team spirit and the lads give everything both in training and in games.
It’s what Newcastle fans love to see from the team.
We’ll have to see if Rafa goes back for Jorgensen, but it would be a surprise at this point – maybe a loan deal is the only real possibility?
Comments welcome.
55 comments so far
jazzyp
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:32 PM
Comment #41in for Merino and replaced him with free transfer Ki. £20m for Mitro, £15m for Ritchie, £15m for Gayle…that’s £60m in. So transfer budget ought to be £100m given tv and prize money. Rafa will more likely be allowed a loan signing and a tenner for a striker
Jib
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:41 PM
Comment #42http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/mike-ashley-to-give-out-free-t-shirts-if-england-win-the-world-cup-11364282009819
Optimistic Panda
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:42 PM
Comment #43Jib
Twist as much as you want, you’ll never be Chubby Checker
Jib
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:51 PM
Comment #44Better pray we don’t meet Russia in the
WC final – after developments in Wiltshire
it could be pretty acrimonious.
Optimistic Panda
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:51 PM
Comment #45Jib
“I cannot feel you are making this comment and the one about my wife”
Hmmm, ermm, sorry I don’t speak Jibberish, can you translate?
Play the wounded victim all you want, who’s been blocked by Ed? And who hasn’t?
Pick your dark alley, I’ll be happy to wait!
magicmac54
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:54 PM
Comment #46So Ashley to give out free England tea shirts if England win the world cup, he knows dam well he is on a winner there as he wont have to give out those tea shirts, what a total parasite Ashley really is, there is more chance of Ashley giving Rafa decent money to spend this transfer window, and we know the chances of that, Bob Hope, and No Hope. HWTL.
Jib
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:58 PM
Comment #47Sorry
It would be the semis
Optimistic Panda
Jul 5, 2018 at 4:58 PM
Comment #48Apologies to the blog for doing a Jib
Jib
How’s England going to play Russia in the final if they’re in the semi final draw?
Doh, another mistake or more bs from a wum?
Jib
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:01 PM
Comment #49magicmac54
It’s actually brilliant marketing
To get a t-shirt you would need the SD app
and give them your full details.
His advertising data base would be enormous
Toonces
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:01 PM
Comment #50Lesh @ 5
It’s not that Ashley won’t give Rafa the keys, it’s that he can’t find them. He lost the keys during one of his infamous binge drinking episodes and hasn’t found them since.
Jib
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:05 PM
Comment #51Is it just me
or is Scotsman Jim White at Sky Sports News
doing the WC England report through gritted teeth
😀
jazzyp
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:05 PM
Comment #52What no response??
jazzyp
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:12 PM
Comment #53Plea close to a move to Germany now,Palace won’t sell Andros and Kennedy.. Well let’s wait and see eh
RobLeenio
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:16 PM
Comment #54Apparently there’s a report in Germany saying Plea is about to sign for Borussia Moenchengladbach.
More BS, I reckon
Jib
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:24 PM
Comment #55RobLeenio
The report is in the Kicker – The German version of the Sun
http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/startseite/726951/artikel_transfer-geplatzt-plea-deal-auf-dem-weg.html