The Newcastle Chronicle are this morning reporting that there is one signing who is “all set” to become a Newcastle United player this summer, while German outfit Schalke may be willing to negotiate the £9m set fee to make Nabil Bentaleb’s move permanent.
The mystery signing is not named, but does look all set to go ahead. There have been one or two names mentioned as to who it could be, with some even saying it could be Patrick Schick.
In my opinion, it is most likely to be former Motherwell goalkeeper and now free agent Mark Gillespie – who will come in and be the direct reserve replacement for Rob Elliot. He was set to sign with us before lockdown so it makes sense that it would be him.
Meanwhile, the potential deal for Nabil Bentaleb is an interesting one. He joined the club from Schalke on loan in January with £9m the set fee to make the move permanent in the summer.
Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic having made a major impact on football finances, the Chronicle say that Schalke may play ball on negotiating that fee to a lower one.
That’s due to the fact that Schalke want Newcastle to make the move permanent and, given their current financial plight, could really do with the money.
Bentaleb hasn’t really made a major impact but he has shown glimpses of his quality and, to me, looks as though he could become an important player at this club given time and patience.
The date for the permanent deal to be triggered at £9m has now passed and it seems likely that, if Newcastle do decide to make his stay a permanent one, they should be able to do so for cheaper than initially stated.
According to the Chronicle, Bentaleb is keen to stay too and reportedly said: “I want to be here next season, for the long term, not just this season.”
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