Martin Hardy – one of the more reputable North East Journalists – claims Newcastle paid ‘as little as £3-4m’ to sign star centre-back Federico Fernandez from Swansea – a deal that looks set to be one of the bargains of the summer.
Fernandez has been very impressive so far (arguably our player of the season at present) so if it’s true that he cost as little as £3m then we’ve got ourselves an absolute steal.
It was initially reported on deadline day that we paid around £6m for him – which is still good going – but to find we may have got him for half the price in this day and age (where clubs think they have to dish out £20m+ to get a good player) is even better:
Some player @pajarofernandez. Cost buttons as well, might have been as little as £3-4 million. Been excellent this season. An absolute steal.
— Martin Hardy (@mhardysport) November 27, 2018
Hardy writes for the Independent and is a reliable figure when it comes to all this NUFC, with him recently gaining behind the scenes access at the club when writing popular book ‘Rafa’s way’.
Fernandez isn’t the only bargain we have had lately, with Ki looking a very good buy on a free transfer, Dubravka a huge success at just £4m and Swiss international Schar now looking the part after we paid his £3m release clause over the summer.
The Newcastle board and their transfer policy has real drawbacks, so thank goodness Rafa Benitez knows how to sniff out a bargain on a shoe string budget.
To think we now have FOUR quality centre halves in Lascelles, Lejeune, Schar and Fernandez that cost less that £20m combined is brilliant business – especially when many Premier League defenders with less quality would cost £20m alone.
If I was a Swansea fan I would be asking WHY their best defender, their captain and an Argentine international was allowed to leave for pennies, but it seems that Swansea’s loss is our gain!
You don’t have to ask the Swans why they sold him, you have to ask one man; Huw Jenkins, to get permission from the American hedge fund he sold out to in order to make a quick quid. Fire sale of all assets! Somehow they even renegotiated the stadium lease so that the club would pay an abhorrent amount more than the original deal that still had years to run. Amazing deal, all so they could take loans out against it, funnel the money away then declare the club pretty much bankrupt in a year or so.
JackBarSteward(Quote)
Personally I always think that when someone says something like 3-4 rather than an actual figure, they don’t actually know the figure.
It’s like a reporter saying a club are looking for “upwards of….” Clubs dont ask for Upwards of anything. They ask for a number.
Brrrian(Quote)
This article is in danger of supporting the Ashley policy of buy sub 28 and sub £10m…even if it means missing out on a transfer for a critical position.
Juliolaker(Quote)