Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has provided a critical update in Newcastle United’s chase for Jesse Lingard on Deadline Day.
The 29-year-old England international has been a name that has been linked with Newcastle for some time now, with reports stretching back to November claiming that they were showing an interest in bringing him to St. James’ Park.
Fresher reports in January claimed that Newcastle were working on a deal to bring him in on loan until the end of the season – at which point, his contract at Old Trafford will expire.
Speaking during Sky Sports News’ Deadline Day coverage, Sheth revealed a fresh bit of news regarding the potential deal, hinting that it seems as if Newcastle had come up with a deal that might appease Manchester United – but that it didn’t seem like the Red Devils were willing to play ball.
He said: “Newcastle United, we know went in for him earlier on in the window. They went with a loan with the wages paid in full, and Manchester United said ‘Okay, we’ll look at that offer’. But then Manchester United wanted a loan bonus if Newcastle United stayed up, and that bonus was amounting to around £12m.
“So Newcastle United went ‘that’s far too much for us’. From [Manchester] United’s perspective, they were thinking, ‘look, if you stay up, you’re going to be getting the riches from the Premier League next season. So why can’t we get some more money from you?’
“As far as Newcastle United are concerned, we’ve been told in the past few minutes that they’ve gone in with a loan with a bonus on that loan and the full wages. However, Manchester United are not responding. And I just wonder whether they have closed the gap on that bonus payment enough for Manchester United to consider that. And I don’t think that they have.”
TIF Thoughts on Dharmesh Sheth’s comments about Jesse Lingard and Newcastle United…
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This news from Sheth is a rather devastating claim for Newcastle United, and something that appears to have been later backed up by David Ornstein at The Athletic.
Having shown an interest in him for so long, to then be turned down this late in the window – especially if it’s a reasonable offer that Manchester United might accept – could serve as a hammer blow to the Magpies’ plans when it comes to their business in January, not to mention the effect it might have on their plans for staying in the Premier League.
Of course, there’s still a few hours to go until the window closes, and there’s still time for deals to be made. But you just have to hope that Newcastle United have a decent backup option in place, as Lingard looks as if he is going nowhere.
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