We had a piece out today on Salomon Rondon and how Newcastle tried to do a deal for him last month – to at least fix the price of the fee this summer for the players.
But none of that was successful and in the summer Salomon Rondon will have just one year left on his contract.
West Brom – if promoted from the Championship in May, would like to get money and cash for Rondon – but that’s not going to happen.
Rondon will become a free agent next summer.
Rafa Benitez – in Spain last week
However, Mike Ashley will have to somehow convince Rafa he can get Rondon this summer if the manager is to stay on Tyneside.
The other player Rafa wants to keep at Newcastle is Mo Diame but the former Senegal International will turn 32 in June and Ashley often resists signing players who are over 26 never mind over 30.
What that has caused at Newcastle over the years is the team tends to lack experience and that’s one reason Rafa brought in players like Ki, Schar, Fernandez, and Rondon last summer.
Rafa has added much-needed experience to the Newcastle’s will probably want to extend Mo’s contract for a couple of years.
Rafa sees Diame as someone who can continue to do a good job in Newcastle’s engine room – as the holding midfielder.
Transfers and funding are Rafa’s major concerns with Ashley but he will also test whether the owner will prevent him from signing older players when Rafa wants them at the club.
If Ashley refuses to sign these two players this summer that could be curtains for Rafa.
We hope Ashley will give on the various things Rafa wants to still have a worthwhile project that will see him remain at Newcastle United.
That’s vital for the club’s future.
Comments welcome.
3 comments so far
lochinvar
Feb 19, 2019 at 3:23 PM
Comment #1Was Mike Ashey or Diane Abbot the smoggies financial advisor ?
Middlesbrough Football Club posted a £6.4m loss after being relegated from the Premier League, their latest accounts show.The accounts published today also show that the club’s turnover dropped from £121m to £62m as broadcasting income plummeted from £100m to £46m and profits nearly halved.
Merchandise takings however stayed around the same, while gate receipts dropped by more than £1.5m to £7.1m, the figures for the year to 30 June 2018 show.
lesh
Feb 19, 2019 at 3:29 PM
Comment #2Genjikai
You asked, a few threads back, about that ‘magical place’ that is my avatar and just as it’s you, I’ll tell – but keep it to yourself!
The photo’s of what was a super little bar in Patara, south west Turkey. The drawbridge was functional – pulling it up at night offered enough security. As time went by though, shutters were installed to seal the bar and stock. I’m not sure what the place is doing these days.
I first came across The Bar Patara in 1990, a little oasis in a very quiet place. The building was square and built next to the silted up former Roman harbour. On two levels, simple accommodation downstairs and used by a lovely Turkish couple who summered there, away from Istanbul. Upstairs at roadside level was the bar area – literally a square that people sat around as though hosted by Ates and his wife Emine. It drew people of all nationalities who just wanted to relax and chat – brilliant.
I visited that place many times over the years and became firm friends with Ates and Emine and my last visit was 2016 – to see Ates who was suffering cancer – the Bar was mothballed.
Anyway, the tale’s gone on too long, Ates died in 2017 and his wife went to join their son in Seattle. What’s happened to that little oasis, the Bar Patara, I don’t know but I suspect someone will have bought it as a holiday retreat. That’s life I guess.
Sorry about the ramble but that place and the people will live long in my memory.
Dagwoodz
Feb 19, 2019 at 3:53 PM
Comment #3Re: Longstaff, I think we’re unfortunately going to see the same thing happen with him that we saw with Carroll. We’ll get one more year out of him to pump his credibility up and prove he’s the real deal in the PL. He’ll be sold in either the winter 19/20 or summer 20 transfer window.