According to an exclusive from TEAMtalk, Newcastle will tie up a deal to sign Salomon Rondon over the ‘next week’ – with West Brom set to agree to an initial loan deal which will include an option to sign him for £15m next summer.
They state that we will pay the Baggies a £4m loan fee to secure him for the coming season and a further £15m next summer – meaning a total of £19m would be shelled out on the Venezuelan striker.
It remains to be seen whether this is true, with the Chronicle or Sky Sports yet to comment on this apparent breakthrough on the deal, however it was reported over the weekend that Rondon was now Rafa’s ‘top target’ after we ‘missed out’ on a £22m deal for Alassane Plea.
Here’s what TEAMtalk have had to say on the deal, claiming that he looks set to seal a move to St James’ Park over the ‘next week’:
Newcastle are expected to tie up a deal for their top summer target Salomon Rondon in the next week – and TEAMtalk sources can reveal an impressive cut-price raid could be agreed.
The Venezuelan striker has been identified by Rafa Benitez as the man he wants to lead his strikeforce next season, with Aleksander Mitrovic expected to make a permanent move to Fulham.
Rondon, 28, has a release clause of £16.5million in his contract but TEAMtalk can reveal Newcastle want the deal as an initial loan – and have offered £4million now and then a further £15million next summer to make the deal permanent.
West Brom would rather sell now, and although Rondon’s wages have almost halved from £75,000-a-week to £40,000, they are desperate to shed his salary and look likely to agree to Newcastle’s request.
It’s best to take this with a pinch of salt until it’s confirmed by a slightly more reputable source closer to the club, however there’s no smoke without fire and Rondon is certainly someone Rafa seems to be considering.
One thing I question is why we’d pay £4m now and £15m next season, making the deal cost £19m when we could have him for £16.5m this summer. It saves us money in the short term, seeing us spend £4m this summer opposed to £16.5m (plus agent fees), but I’m not sure how it’s a ‘cut-price’ deal in the long run.
If true, it makes you wonder just how much (or how little) money Rafa has really been given to spend this summer if we can’t afford to spend £16.5m..
He’s not prolific – having averaged 8 goals a season across his three years in the Premier League so far – although he is a real handful, a hard worker and a player who possesses decent pace/power which may suit our counter attacking style surprisingly well.
I’m not sold on him given our need for a proven goalscorer (which he is not), but I think that he could be better than some are expecting if this one proves to be true.
Would you be happy with Rondon?
No absolutely not a good deal, not good enough and certainly not worth the money!
Clive(Quote)
hell no, we already have strikers who cant put the ball in the net ….
Danny(Quote)
I believe with decent service he could score 12/15 goals a season. What I don’t believe is we would pay £4 million now and £15 next year for someone who will be 30 years of age.
Magpie 48(Quote)
I have to give it to west ham fans they caused chaos last season rioted in the london stadium about how the club underspend on tranfers on past windows. I think they even boycotted games whatever the did it worked hands down the club are spending hand over fist this summer spoiling the fans. What do nufc fans get? Oh I know? They get reminder letters to renew their season tickets while Charnley is around with the beggers cup looking for loan deals. Priceless.
Nufc11(Quote)
France have just become the world champions with a No9 who didn’t score, but his name was probably first on the team sheet. With the system both France and NUFC play, the big robust centre forward can create the opportunities for the next three players. Probably Rondon could fit the bill, or even Hoss, if the right combination of these three can be signed (Kennedy plus two more)
Gordon Rutherford(Quote)
Guys Albion fan here there is nothing in the story that is correct.
1. He is out of contract at the end of next season so no way will he be loaned and then sold.
2. Albion are not desperate to get his wages off the books they fall by 50% in the Championship and the club can afford it. The fact that he is out of contract takes care of the problem if the club aren’t promoted this season.
3. The release clause is £16.5m and that is okay for what he is a 28 year old with 2/3 decent seasons at Premier League level left.
4. He is probably not a 20 goal a season striker in the Premier League (few are) but he would score more in a more progressive team. You have to remember he has played under Pulis and only once in Premier League history has a striker in a Pulis side reached double figures and then only just.
Standaman(Quote)
So the question is why pay 4 million now instead of 16.5 million now?
Apart from the difference between 4 and 16.5 of anything, I suspect next year is an option to buy if we like him.
If, as many think he will be, he’s *****, then it only cost us a 4 million rental.
Brrrian(Quote)
Too many ponderables to be true.
Beejay(Quote)
I don’t believe this story. No way will Ashley pay 15M for someone on or about 30yo. No way do WBA have to get rid. No way will the bean-counters approve a 4M one year loan for a single digit goal scorer. Rondon’s release clause would have been enough in itself to have Ashley close the book on him, but his add-ons that threatened to push any deal for him up over 20M would have seen the book already thrown into the fire.
He doesn’t excite me, but he isn’t worse than what he have. He is possibly a little smarter than Joselu, a little more poised than Gayle, and a little more robust than Perez, (perhaps even a little more adaptable than Mitro). He perhaps brings the (reasonable) workrate of one, the (moderate) speed and agility of another, and the (occassional) canny awareness of the third into the one body, and is someone whom Rafa may well be able to work with.
I’d give him a year’s loan to have a go, …but I think there is better to try for.
Peter(Quote)