Newcastle United are unable to meet the wage demands of Everton left-back Leighton Baines, according to the Newcastle Chronicle.
The newspaper claims on their website that despite a claim by the Mirror that the Magpies are in the hunt to sign the 33-year-old, the idea of him heading to St James’ Park this summer has been dismissed.
It is understood that Baines has been made surplus to requirements at Goodison Park due to the imminent arrival of Lucas Digne from Barcelona, leading to increased speculation about his future all summer.
However one place he will not be heading is Newcastle due to his wage demands, as according to statistics website Spotrac the former England international is earning £70,000-a-week on his deal at Everton.
OPINION
It was always going to be a longshot for Newcastle to sign Baines, who has over 400 Premier League appearances to his name from his time with both Everton and Wigan. While it would be ideal for Rafa Benitez to add another left-back to the squad, it would be better practice to go after someone who is much younger than Baines and would more than likely demand less wages. The transfer fee probably would not be a problem as the left-back is in the final year of his deal at Goodison, has had multiple injury issues in recent years and the imminent signing of Digne. However it is just simply not going to be worth it and Paul Dummett and Javier Manquillo are more than likely going to be good enough for the upcoming season. Newcastle’s priority should still lie with them finding a new centre-forward. Salomon Rondon looks as though he is going to be the man while Yoshinori Muto could also be on his way to St James’ Park.