Former Newcastle full-back Kevin Mbabu has signed a pre-contract agreement with Wolfsburg ahead of a £8m move this summer.
This has been confirmed by Sky Sports’ north-east reporter Keith Downie, confirming that the 24-year-old will swap Swiss side BSC Young Boys for the Bundesliga ahead of the 2019/20 season.
As a result of sell-on clauses inserted following his sale to Young Boys, Newcastle could be set for a £1.2m windfall following his £8m move to Wolfsburg – a small consolation after selling a player I feel could have made it at St James’ Park.
Considering the fees talented young players seem to demand in this day and age, £8m seems a reasonable fee, with him now a regular in Switzerland’s national side after helping Young Boys to their first league title and impressing on the Champions League stage.
Mbabu bagged 11 assists and 3 goals over the last two seasons with Young Boys and continues to be a case of ‘what if’ as far as us Newcastle fans are concerned.
He showed real promise during his odd start for us, showing an impressive mix of power, pace and tenacity from full-back, but it seems Rafa Benitez didn’t feel he was up to it when deciding to cash in on the youngster two years ago.
It will be interesting to see how he gets on in the Bundesliga – a competitive league that has often been compared to the English top flight for both physicality and pace.
Good luck, Kevin!
