France international won’t play for cheap.
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Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis has confessed that his summer move to Newcastle United didn’t go through because he refused to drop his wage demands, Sky Sports reports.
The 27-year-old became hot property over the summer and rejected a number of opportunities to move across Europe – including deals that could have taken him to Swansea and Newcastle.
Now entering the final year of his deal with Lyon, the club had been trying to offload him in a bid to cut the costs of their hefty wage bill, but the player was resolute in his stance that he would not be forced out of the club and a free transfer next summer now looks increasingly likely.
A late deal to take him to St James’ Park did look as though it was about to go through after the two clubs had agreed a fee, but Gomis has now admitted that the Magpies had wanted him to take a pay cut, something which he was not prepared to do.
“I had a talk with Newcastle’s coach and we found an agreement,” Gomis told TV show Canal Football Club.
“Then, there were talks with Lyon, there was a first offer – which was refused and then a second one, which was accepted.
“Newcastle then came back to me and asked me to make an effort on wages – but I never asked anything as it was my club which wanted to transfer me, so the effort had to be made by Newcastle or Lyon.”
He also admitted that a new deal to keep him at the club now looks unlikely.
“Now I think after what has been said and done, it is not conceivable to talk about any prolongation,” he added.
Newcastle endured a frustrating summer in the transfer window as they looked to bring in a new striker, missing out on the loan signing of Demba Ba from Chelsea as well as on Gomis, managing only to bring in Loic Remy on loan from Queens Park Rangers.