As confirmed by the Chronicle this morning, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge for £15m – however it’s been revealed that Rafa has not forgotten his decision to snub us in January and will look at other options instead.
During Lee Ryder’s piece in response to the Sturrridge rumour, it states that ‘Rafa Benitez has other priorities higher up his wanted list and the England international’s decision to pull the plug on a loan deal at the last minute in January hasn’t been forgotten by the Magpies’, suggesting he is someone way down our wishlist – and with good reason.
His injury record is dismal and a huge concern, his decision to reject Rafa and NUFC for Alan Pardew in January was pretty telling and I’m not convinced he’s tough enough to cope with the high intensity and energy Benitez demands in this team.
In addition, here’s what Mark Douglas has had to say on Benitez’s ‘interest’ in Sturridge – suggesting he was nothing more than a desperation move in January.
Well if I tell you it was seen as a desperation move in January as time ticked by then it might throw into focus exactly where he stands in the wishlist of Rafa Benitez this summer. I’m sure he’s one of the names Benitez “is aware of” but Benitez will have others way ahead of him on his hitlist.
£15m is not that much in today’s market but United were bruised at the way they felt they were played in January. With plenty of interest in him, he’ll not be shy of demanding big wages and a signing fee and I think Newcastle will look for hungrier options.
Sounds like he’ll be another last resort if we’re to show any interest in Sturridge this summer.
At £15m he’d seem a snip in this day and age if he was fit and firing, but he’s not been either of those two things for a long time.
