NEWCASTLE United have reportedly had a cash offer for Bolton Wanderers’ Jlloyd Samuel rejected.
The Journal was last night unable to confirm the news with manager Chris Hughton, but if true it sheds some light on the club’s ambiguous statement about “no new capital outlay on players” this summer.
In the absence of any clarification from St James’ Park, some have interpreted the phrase as meaning the Magpies would not pay any transfer fees for players in the current transfer window. But the offer for Samuel was said to run to “seven figures”, implying instead that Hughton’s buys may have to be offset by player sales.
Owner Mike Ashley’s May statement did little to fill fans with optimism, suggesting as it did that the club’s transfer policy would be frugal
at best as they prepared for a return to the Premier League. The lack of signings since the season’s end, although by no means unusual, did nothing to allay those fears. But Hughton this week confirmed he is hopeful of supplementing his squad “sooner rather than later.”
And Newcastle have also been linked with an unlikely move for Rais M’Bohli. Slavia Sofia president Ventsislav Stefanov has confirmed the story in The Journal earlier this month the Magpies are interested in Algeri’s World Cup goalkeeper.
But with Newcastle’s wealth of talent in that position and work to do elsewhere, a deal seems unlikely.
The Magpies are due to report back for pre-season training on July 5 and it would be helpful, though not imperative, if some or all of the new faces were in place by then.
After running up debts under the previous regime, owner Mike Ashley’s May statement promised United would aim to “break even” by 2015-16. With an estimated loss of £32.5m last season and a £20m overdraft at its limit, funds are certain to be at a premium.
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