Newcastle United failed in their attempts to bring in NK Lokomotiva Zagreb midfielder Lovro Majer in the January transfer window. According to a report in the Italian media, the Magpies made a January move for the Croatian midfielder but was unable to strike a deal with the Zagreb club. However, Rafael Benitez’s side were able to bring in three players on temporary loan deals which includes Kenedy, Islam Slimani and Martin Dubravka until the end of the season. The Tyneside club failed to land a playmaker though, which could come back to haunt them if they fail to avoid relegation this term.
It is being reported that the Magpies wanted to sign Majer last month but they could not agree to terms with the Croatian outfit. Some sources have suggested that NK Lokomotiva Zagreb were looking for a fee in the region of £13.3m to £16m which Newcastle were unwilling to meet which meant that Majer would remain at the club at least until the end of the campaign. It remains to be seen whether Benitez will go back for the Croatian midfielder in the summer as he looks to build for a bigger and brighter future in Tyneside.
Majer has featured in 20 matches for the Magpies, scoring 7 goals and providing 3 assists in all competitions.
Newcastle United are currently in 13th place in the Premier League standings with a tally of 28 points in 27 league matches. Rafael Benitez’s team still finds themselves just two points above the drop zone and are in real danger of suffering the agony of being relegated to the English Championship at the end of the season.
The Tyneside club needs to pick up some crucial victories in the coming weeks to try and avoid getting themselves involved in a relegation dogfight going into the second half of their campaign. They were recently victorious against Manchester United which might go a long way in helping their cause of avoiding the drop this term.
Whilst Newcastle boss Benitez currently has limited funds available due to lack of investment under Mike Ashley, acquiring promising youngsters with immense potential has to be a priority for the Magpies. Majer is exactly the kind of player that the club are looking for and he could turn out to be a shrewd signing if Benitez can swoop in for his services in the near future. Only time will tell what lies ahead in the future of the 20-year-old midfielder and whether he ends up making a move to the Premier League.
