Rafa Benitez has been offered the chance to sign Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen according to the Chronicle – however the Spaniard is expected to pass up on the opportunity.
The report claims that Stoke’s £20m valuation will put Newcastle off any deal this summer, with it also stated that Benitez could not guarantee him the regular game time he’d demand at St James’ Park.
He’s a reliable player, a hard worker and a tidy footballer, but I think it’d be about right and pretty much expected for us to pass up on signing him – especially if he’d demand such a fee for a 28-year-old whose side has just been relegated.
I’d prefer to keep Merino – provided he’s happy to stay and fight for his place – and also feel that this sort of money must be spent on signing a proven striker, a number 10 and the likes of Kenedy instead.
He’d be a solid signing, but for anything close to £20m, it’s a non starter it seems.
