After rumours of our rejected €8m (£7m) January bid emerged last week, Galatasaray winger Garry Rodrigues has told the Turkish media that the club ‘will not’ let him leave for anything less than €15m (£13m).
It was widely reported in Turkey last week that we had seen a bid of £6m rejected for the winger last summer, with fresh claims than revealing that we were also unsuccessful with a marginally improved offer of £7m last month.
Rodrigues actually found the net in Galatasary’s 2-1 defeat to Kasimpasa yesterday and has also addressed the rumours linking him with a potential summer move to Tyneside, telling the press that his Turkish employers have placed a €15m price tag on his head:
“I will not go for less than €15m.”
Turkish reports have suggested that our interest is not dead, stating that we could be set to make a new improved offer for the 27-year-old winger in the summer.
It looks like we’ll have to almost double our offer if we wish to be successful, however – being something I just can’t see us doing for a player of his limited pedigree.
If this is all true, this reeks of Mike Ashley’s penny pinching style and the club’s inability to recognise that decent players just don’t go for £6-7 million anymore.
I don’t think anyone would lose any sleep if we didn’t sign Rodrigues – a player very few fans will be familiar with – however this is perhaps another example that new owners are desperately needed over the summer. Ashley and co. seem to find a way to make even the simplest of deals looks difficult.
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