Newcastle United failed with a last minute swoop for Spartak Moscow’s Ze Luis, according to Russian website Championship.
The website claim that the Magpies offered to take the centre-forward on loan, with the proposed deal including a clause which would have allowed Newcastle United to buy Ze Luis for £17.5million in the summer.
Championship report that even though an agreement wasn’t officially reached, it was the player’s girlfriend that caused for the forward’s potential transfer to be dead in the water.
The 27-year-old forward that has 17 caps for Cape Verde didn’t want to leave Russia and join the Magpies as he had recently fell in love with a Russian dancer, according to the report.
Championship previously revealed that Newcastle United bid £8.7million for the forward earlier in the window, but the offer was rejected as it was deemed too low.
The relationship is believed to be serious and Ze Luis will revisit his options about leaving Spartak Moscow in six months.
The centre-forward, who can also play on the left wing, has scored four goals in 14 appearances this season.
OPINION
Ze Luis would have been a unbelievable signing for the Magpies. Rafa Benitez’s side were in need of a quality forward to fire them away from the relegation zone and that exactly what the 27-year-old is. While the Magpies may not have got the Russian club to agree to sell him to them for £17.5million in the summer, a loan deal could have been agreed to. However, it’s understandable that Ze Luis wouldn’t be keen to move to England as he has just started a relationship, even if it’s an unusual reason for a deal not to happen. Maybe if the Magpies stay in the Premier League, the club can return and get Ze Luis by finding a way over this bizarre obstacle to the deal.