Jetro Willems has REJECTED a new contract offer at Frankfurt in a bid to seal a return to Newcastle United, according to The Chronicle.
The Dutchman’s deal is set to expire next summer, and it seems the Bundesliga side have offered him an extension in a bid to protect his value – rather than lose him at a cut-price in January or for nothing at the end of the season.
Unfortunatey for them, The Chronicle claim he’s made it clear that he won’t be staying with the German side, with his agent confirming that he is eager to re-sign for Newcastle instead.
Agent Sigi Lens also insists that he’s “fully fit” and “ready to play” after several weeks of training – something that could be a deciding factor for Newcastle United if true:
“Jetro felt very comfortable at Newcastle and he said he felt like it was home, so of course he would be happy to go back if the chance came up.
“It is a great club and he had a great time in England.
“Newcastle were very good after the injury so it is something he would be happy with if the opportunity came up
“He is fully fit and ready to play now.”
Essentially, Willems’ decision to reject Frankfurt’s contract offer means two things IF we remain interested. Either we pursue a cut-price fee in January or wait until he’s a free agent in the summer.
It wouldn’t surprise me if we opt for the latter, with the severity of his knee injury meaning we may prefer to keep tabs on his fitness over the next six months before opting to sign him permanently.
Although his agent says he’s fully fit and ready to play, we won’t know just how ‘ready’ he is or whether he’s the same player after a second ACL injury until we see him in competitive action again.
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