According to the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder, Monaco have now hijacked Newcastle’s bid to sign Atletico Madrid’s Gelson Martins.
The Chronicle claim that the winger held talks with Newcastle today but failed to commit to the proposed loan, stating the player was ‘lukewarm on the move’ – leaving Rafa ‘looking at other options’ as a result.
It was confirmed earlier today that we had entered talks with the La Liga side over a potential loan deal, but it looks like Monaco have now snuck in to sign the 23-year-old.
Here’s what Lee Ryder has said about the situation in the last few moments:
Portuguese outlet A Bola also claiming that he’ll sign for Thierry Henry’s side on loan until the end of the season – so the Chronicle aren’t the only one suggesting we’ve lost out.
It feels like typical Newcastle United, but this is something that the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards did warn could happen earlier in the day, with him admitting that several other clubs were interested in signing the former Sporting Lisbon star.
Time will tell if the deal is completely dead, but the latest reports from the Chronicle are suggesting Martins will spend the second half of the season with Thierry Henry at Monaco – and not with Rafa Benitez on Tyneside.
Ironically, it looks like Monaco were negotiating a deal for Martins just as we made a move to sign their very own left-back Antonio Barreca on loan.
We were never going sign him, same old story every transfer window, never going to happen,
Jim(Quote)
This is exactly what happens when those incompetent idiots leave everything until the last minute as usual. If he was on Rafa’s list then we should have been talking to him the day the window opened. Instead we will be scrambling around for last minute loans near the bottom of his list.
Dave Cooper(Quote)
Nufc were prob told at the start of the month it was a 4.5millon loan fee and they reverted to type and decided to wait it out and see would they take 2.5millon it’s classic Mike Ashley.
Nufc11(Quote)
Loan this, loan that, where is the fooking money? Probably going to be used to buy Harry Mac Vitty, otherwise known as HMV. Ashley out!!!
Trenger(Quote)
We are officially the 19th richest club in the world, with >170 million coming in… But all we can do is scramble in Aldi for loans … Where is the money?? 👿
Dubai Toon(Quote)
FFS DISGRACE ASHLEY!!!!!!!!!!!
Derek(Quote)