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Mohamed Diame agrees bumper £10m wage deal with new club – Report

5 years ago
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Last week, it was widely reported that Mohamed Diame had arrived in Doha for a medical as he was set to join Al Gharafa.

This followed the news two weeks ago today, when Newcastle United confirmed that he wouldn’t be offered a new contract.

Rafa Benitez having ensured an automatic one year extension wouldn’t be triggered.

Diame needed to make 25 Premier League starts in 2018/19 to trigger tha automatic one year contract extension but the player falling one short on 24 PL starts.

This despite the midfielder having been named in the team for all of the first 21 games of the season. Whilst injury played a part, Mohamed Diame only started three more of the final 17 PL games but was named on the bench eight times.

Now on Wednesday afternoon it is reported that Diame has agreed a two year deal with Al Gharafa, only five days after the player turned 32.

Back in March, the former Senegalese international said he would like to stay and he’d told the NUFC hierarchy what needed to happen, though he added that moving on elsewhere wouldn’t be a problem either.

In today’s report from The Sun, they also say that on a free transfer, Mohamed Diame has also more than doubled his Newcastle wages, with the player set to receive £10m (£100,000 a week) wages over the course of these next two years.

The Mag – 11 June 2019;

Mohamed Diame is set to sign for Al Gharafa according to reports on Tuesday morning.

The midfielder was one of those named last week, when Newcastle United released a list of players who wouldn’t be offered a new contract.

The media in Qatar say that Mohamed Diame has arrived there for his medical and an announcement is imminent.

The player turns 32 on Friday so maybe a little bit of a surprise to see him take the money and drop down to that level, when he could have potentially have been looking at maybe one of those clubs coming up into the Premier League this season, or at least one at the top end of the Championship.

Rafa Benitez signed Mohamed Diame for £5m on a three year contract back in 2016 and it has been a decent deal for both parties.

The Newcastle manager picking Diame out for praise last week.

Manager Rafa Benítez commenting on those players not offered new contracts – 5 June 2019:

“I would like to say thank you to all the players leaving the club this summer.

“Mo has been a great servant to Newcastle United in his three years here.

“He has given us a lot on and off the pitch and we wish him well for the future.

“The players from the Academy have also given their best to the club over many years.

“We thank each of them and wish them good luck with the next step in their career.”

Mohamed Diame speaking to BBC Newcastle on 4 March 2019:

“It (staying at Newcastle United) will not be a problem.

“The club know my position…and that is it.

“I have been playing a lot this season, so it will not be a problem to find another team but they know I want to stay.

“Now it is not about me, it is about the club, and what they want to do.

“But I will stay focused on our job, which is to stay up.

“It is the most important thing.

“I will have time in the summer to think about this.

“Of course, if I can stay I will, but if I have to go I will go too.

“So it will not be a problem.”

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