Rafa Benitez has hailed the importance of Salomon Rondon at Newcastle and says “we will have time to talk” when asked about a potential deal to re-sign the striker on a permanent basis.
The Chronicle claim that Rafa has made the signing of Rondon one of his ‘priorities’ during contract discussions a fortnight ago, however we need to have his future sorted out before we can even think about activating the striker’s £16.5m release clause at West Brom.
Here’s what Rafa’s had to say when asked about the 29-year-old this week, hailing the role he played in keeping us up last season:
“I was really pleased for him and for us.
“It’s congratulations to him because he did so well. He helped the team to stay up.
“He has been an important player and it’s exactly the same when I talked about my situation (his future depends on his current employers).
“We will have time to talk about his future.”
There is time, but the transfer window is already open and the clock, with ‘takeover talk’ now seeming to have totally overtaking discussions about a new deal for Benitez, let alone signings.
Rondon is currently preparing to represent his country at this summer’s Copa America, being at a training camp in Florida with the Venezuelan squad as we speak, however he did vow to ‘let them talk’ when links to West Ham and Wolves emerged earlier this month.
That said, it won’t be long until he and his agent are assessing his options and looking at the next move he’s going to make, with him looking certain to leave West Brom for £16.5m this summer – whether it’s us or another Premier League club that signs him.
