According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United will have to pay a transfer fee of at least £16m to bring Salomon Rondon to St James Park next summer permanently. The report states that West Bromwich Albion have put the aforementioned price tag on their in-demand attacker, with the Magpies looking to bring him in on a permanent basis.
Newcastle United have been looking to add the Venezuela international to their squad after the striker had an impressive season on loan for the Magpies. The 29-year-old has been the only silver lining amidst Newcastle’s otherwise gloomy season in the Premier League so far.
Rondon has scored seven goals this season so far and has also dished out three assists for his teammates. He has been one of the best team players in the Premier League this season, and it will be a massive signing for the Magpies if they can land the player in the next summer transfer window.
Rafa Benitez has faced a number of setbacks in his pursuit of quite a few players this season. The signing of Rondon might be a massive prize for the Spaniard for his persistence. However, the £16m price tag put on the player by his parent club might be a problem for a financially challenged club like Newcastle United (no, we are not taking a dig at Newcastle here, subtle or otherwise).
With the likes of Joselu and Ayoze Perez far from their best this season, Rondon has been the only hope for the Magpies in terms of avoiding relegation. Newcastle are currently in the 16th spot in the league table and might be in contention to enter the battle for survival by the end of the season. This makes it even more vital for them to keep hold of the Venezuela international.
All said and done though, Rafa Benitez is undoubtedly one of the footballing masterminds in Europe and might well be able to keep Newcastle in the top flight despite all their struggles this season.
However, he would be well aware of the fact that to keep getting positive results consistently in the future; he would need better players than the existing crop he has at his disposal. Rondon has been one such star performer for the Magpies, and it would be a wise decision for the Tyneside club to shell out the cash and make him stay put at St James Park for some more years to come.
