In what will go down as a transfer window that will drive Rafa Benitez out of Newcastle, the club has announced that they have signed Federico Fernandez on a permanent deal.
Federico Fernandez signed from Swansea City, and he has been a possible target for months ever since Swansea were relegated.
The 29-year-old Argentine played under Rafa Benítez at Napoli back in the 2013-2014 season and signed an initial two-year deal at Newcastle after playing four seasons in the Premier League at Swansea.
New signing 29-year-old Federico Fernandez
Here is some of the information put out by the club on their website about Federico:
He began his career in his homeland with Estudiantes before moving to Napoli in 2011.
He won the Copa Italia with Gli Azzurri in 2014 as well as playing in the Champions League.
Fernandez signed for Swansea in the summer of 2014 and made more than 100 Premier League appearances for the Welsh club.
The player will wear the number 18 shirt for Newcastle United and will be eligible to face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Here’s what Fernandez has said:
“It was a long day but I’m really happy to be here.”
“It’s a new challenge in my life and I’m very excited to meet all the players and staff here.”
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez had this to say about his new center-back:
“I know Federico well from our time together at Napoli and it was an easy decision to bring him here.”
“He is experienced, a very good professional and he will add competition in defence.”
This is an excellent signing for Newcastle and Federico cost only £6M.
But it’s on a day which has been extremely disappointing for Newcastle fans and for Rafa Benitez.
Comments welcome.
18 comments so far
Chancel My MBembaship
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:21 PM
Comment #1Glad we nabbed him right at the death. Not a superb signing but he’ll be decent cover when the injuries start hitting. I assume Clark will cover for LB now.
Jib
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:25 PM
Comment #2Martin Dubravka
Ki Sung-yueng
Kenedy
Fabian Schar
Yoshinori Muto
Salomon Rondon
Federico Fernandez
Anyone who thinks this is a bad window is an idiot
crawfordm
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:26 PM
Comment #3Another deflating transfer money. I wish Sky or the Chronicle would chase Ashley and ask him what happened to the promised money ! Total respect to Everton,Wolves,West Ham and Fulham.
Owners who have ambition for their clubs.
Pottsclock
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:28 PM
Comment #4It’s clear that Rafa knows what he is getting with this player as he has worked with him before. 5 CBs is not ideal – coverage needed elsewhere – but as Lejeune may be out for the whole season it makes sense. We have, in my opinion, increased the depth of the spine of the team and a full season of Kennedy and Dubravka will also stand us in better stead than last year. But overall, it’s disappointing because rather than just adding depth we could have added serious improvement.
I think we’ll stay up. I think Ashley will sell – this window has all the hallmarks of preparing for a sale by keeping the overheads down. By November, we”ll have a good idea of where we are.
BenArfa the magician
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:29 PM
Comment #5How good would it being a Wolves or Fulham fan now, can see them both giving us a bit of a spanking this season. Mitrovic must be gutted he left such an ambitious side, imagine leaving and finding out his old team managed to secure 3 players all relegated last season. With 4 strikers that haven’t managed double figures for sometime what an exciting season we have to look forward too. At least we get to watch Kenedy and Lascelles in black and white for 1 last season, and the main man Rafa before he goes onto manage a team that wants to finish higher than 17th.
Well done MA ripping the enjoyment out of the Toon for 11 years, heres hoping he goes bankrupt so we can get snapped up by a decent owner.
crawfordm
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:30 PM
Comment #6JIB i agree however it should have been far better, we could have improved to gain a couple of places and more importantly kept Rafa happy. What will happen to his players when he ups sticks next season. Lets enjoy the coming season
with a man of integrity as a manager.
Looneytoon
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:33 PM
Comment #7I think the squad has been improved.
Don’t like it that he manger wasn’t backed enough as I seriously think we could have threatened the top 8.
Anyway come on the Toon for sat. Spuds aren’t going to know what Rafa has in store
Looneytoon
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:36 PM
Comment #83-1 the mighty magpies for sat
Geremi's Prosthetic Leg Fund
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:36 PM
Comment #9It’s not a bad window, relative to other windows we’ve had, but it was a critical window to show ambition and keep Rafa. It hasn’t happened. Therefore it is a disastrous window.
posada
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:43 PM
Comment #10Jib
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:25 PM
Comment #2
Martin Dubravka
Ki Sung-yueng
Kenedy
Fabian Schar
Yoshinori Muto
Salomon Rondon
Federico Fernandez
Anyone who thinks this is a bad window is an idiot
****************
Rafa ?
MadisonToon
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:44 PM
Comment #11Martin Dubravka
Ki Sung-yueng
Kenedy – loan, no option to buy
Fabian Schar
Yoshinori Muto
Salomon Rondon – loan, no option to buy
Federico Fernandez
Two of the three players who are upgrades to what we already had are on loan (Dubravka the third).
Anyone who thinks this is a good window…fill in the rest yourselves 😉
toon kk
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:48 PM
Comment #12Geremii’s
I don’t think it was a necessarily a bad window either but it could and should have been a great one.
Another opportunity missed to take the club to the next level. Typical Ashley.
posada
Aug 9, 2018 at 7:50 PM
Comment #13I actually think we are better than the end of last season.
problem is some of the other clubs we were ahead of have spent big. So relatively perhaps not so.
Seems clear, including the likes of Saviet, Lazaar and aarons we have 25/26 senoir pros on serious money. Think the policy is we cannot go above that.
2/3 of those you’ll have to pay them to leave.
geordiesteve520
Aug 9, 2018 at 8:00 PM
Comment #14Am I right in thinking we don’t need an option to buy for Rondon because his contract runs out at the end of the season?
MadisonToon
Aug 9, 2018 at 8:00 PM
Comment #15Idk posada.
We have the same keeper as the end of last season have lost Mbemba and Lejeune is out for months with Fernandez and Schar as cover (weaker defense overall, IMO). Our MF improvement is just Ki who looks good but not great so a marginal improvement there (not a new starter atm). Our forward line should be an improvement but there are serious question marks over both Muto and Rondon in the premier league so I don’t think I can say that’s an improvement and we lost Gayle and mitrovic.
In summary:
GK – no change
D – same/slightly worse (IMO)
M – same/marginal improvement
F – ??? hopeful improvements
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Aug 9, 2018 at 8:05 PM
Comment #16I don’t think it has been to bad a transfer window – give it 6 out of 10
If the new players gell with the players we have and are lucky with injuries I think we will be safe
Some of the prices paid for players teams have bought are stupid money for mediocre players and the likes of West Ham over £100 million spent don’ t get into Europe will it be money wasted?
Paul141726
Aug 9, 2018 at 9:45 PM
Comment #17This team will need another masterful managerial job from Rafa, and tough players who will play for the shirt, not the tightwad Cashley. Sure would have liked at least another striker with goals in his boots. (14-20 would be nice.) will hope Rondonplays his ass off.
Toon&oot
Aug 9, 2018 at 10:41 PM
Comment #18I think supporters need to make a stand. There’s clearly going to be no change in direction with Ashley at the helm. His lies and deceit over the years prove it. He loves money and doesn’t like bad publicity. YOU DO THE MATHS.