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Will mean massive blow if Mitrovic still at Newcastle by end of transfer window

7 years ago
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Aleksandar Mitrovic is a tricky one.

I can understand why so many people like him as a person because he comes across so well and definitely appears to have his heart in the right place BUT I don’t understand those Newcastle fans who think it will be a positive if he stays at the club.

I don’t think he is anywhere near Premier League standard and more importantly, neither does Rafa Benitez.

When he arrived in March 2016, Rafa started three of his first four matches with Mitrovic up front but tired of him with his lack of mobility and impact on play, leaving the Serbian out of the next five games that decided Newcastle’s fate in the relegation battle.

More damning, last season the United boss only gave Mitrovic 11 Championship starts out of 46 and that was despite number one striker Dwight Gayle failing to start in 20 league matches through injury.

Dwight Gayle looked a class above the second tier but Aleksandar Mitrovic struggled even at that level, his four Championship goals coming in 1122 minutes of action at a rate of one every 280 minutes. His lack of pace a massive handicap even against second rate defenders.

Mitrovic has already made clear he expects to move this summer and it is obvious Rafa Benitez is desperate to add another quality striker to Dwight Gayle.

Aleksandar Mitrovic – 12 June 2017:

“I’m very happy to help Newcastle back to the Premier League because that’s where the club deserves to be.

“I heard something about other clubs but for now I just want to rest. I need to prepare for next season.

“If some good offers for me – which are also good for the club – come in for me over the summer, then we will speak about it.”

By loaning out Adam Armstrong and selling Daryl Murphy, the Newcastle manager is clearing the decks of those forwards who aren’t suitable for the Premier League challenge next season.

Whilst Rafa Benitez has stated that he has control of exactly who is brought in this summer, provided Mike Ashley keeps his word…it is difficult to imagine a really substantial bid (at a minimum breaking the 12 year old Michael Owen transfer record?) being made for the essential forward Newcastle need, unless Aleksandar Mitrovic is somehow offloaded.

This past week has brought claims of Newcastle offering Mitrovic to Lyon for £16m. If that is the expectation on transfer fee then it must be certain he’ll be moving nowhere.

Hopefully Rafa Benitez will have the freedom to move on one of Newcastle’s top earners at a more realistic halving of that figure. Even in this ever rising transfer market, I can’t see anybody paying more than £7m or £8m for the former Anderlecht forward.

If he is still here by the time September comes, then I really can’t see Newcastle United/Mike Ashley, having giving their consent to any transfer of the £20m or so we probably need to spend to get the level of striker we clearly need. That kind of figure is the minimum Dwight Gayle would be going for if Newcastle sold him, so you are living with your head in the clouds if you think a bargain exists for far less than that figure.

Hernandez is joining West Ham for only £13m and he would have been a great buy surely for Newcastle – but on top of that buyout clause figure, you are also looking at reported wages of at least £6m or £7m a year, making him as expensive as the kind of level of forward Newcastle need , when taking the overall financial package into consideration.

Speaking to the Chronicle this week, Mitrovic has a similar message to what he said in June, clearly waiting for clubs to come in for him, here’s hoping and best of luck to him wherever he ends up.

Aleksandar Mitrovic talking to the Chronicle:

“I am happy here and we will see what has happened by the end of the transfer window but at the moment I am here and I will do everything to work hard like I always do.

“What I’d say is I don’t know what is going to happen at the end.

“While I am here I will give everything like I always have and sometimes that’s enough, sometimes it’s not.

“I hope the fans stay with us and we need them now back in the Premier League.”

“Preston are a tough team and it is going to be nice to play against them now in pre-season.

“We need to have some hard games to try to prepare ourselves for the Premier League.”

(All contributions from Newcastle fans welcome, send articles (as well as ideas/suggestions) to contribute@themag.co.uk)

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