According to the Athletic, Jonjo Shelvey remains the club’s highest earner on a wage of ‘£70,000 to £80,000’ per week.
This comes from Chris Waugh’s latest piece on the midfielder after he signed an extension last week to keep him at St James’ Park for at least another 3 years.
Waugh claims those familiar with contract negotiations on Tyneside have stated he’s “highly unlikely” to have take a pay-cut, also revealing that his new deal includes an ‘option’ to extend his current contract beyond 2023 by ‘at least another year’.
Some feel Jonjo was fortunate to be handed an extension – and you can see why. He’s capable of moments of magic (see worl class pass below on Saturday), but his performances haven’t always been consistent enough as the club’s top paid player.
That said, he’s had a MUCH better season under Steve Bruce, being the club’s top scorer on five before Miguel Almiron’s double at West Brom.
His ability has never been in question, but it was his recent injury record, lack of mobility and inconsistency when fit that saw him slip down the pecking order during Rafa Benitez’s time on Tyneside.
In a way, his performance at Southampton summed him up. In the first half he was the best player on the pitch and could’ve had a hat-trick of assists if we’d finished our dinner, but in the second 45 he became sloppy and looked a little laboured as he allowed his head to drop.
Bruce’s ‘arm around the shoulder’ style of management will no doubt help him, but, at 28, he needs to stay fit and improve his consistency over the coming years if he’s to justify the fact no one earns more than him at Newcastle United.
