There’s been so much speculation with Newcastle United and potential takeovers this summer, so it’s nice to just see a good old fashioned transfer rumour that doesn’t appear to depend on a new owner.
Nabil Bentaleb joined Newcastle last season on loan from German side Schalke, and it looks like he’s done enough to earn a permanent deal.
According to Bild via Fotmob, The Magpies have the option to sign him for a fee of around £8.6m, but his potential wages are the big story here.
They suggest that he currently earns around £80k per week and Newcastle would need to pay him something similar, so he looks set to replace Jonjo Shelvey as the highest earner at the club.
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He’s clearly a good player and we’ve seen him in the Premier League before with Spurs, but fans may be wondering if he’s worth that much per week.
At his best he’s able to roam around the pitch while his composure and touch are fantastic, but it also sets a benchmark for any new signings this summer.
Agents will leap on that figure and demand at least that if Newcastle look to make any big name signings, so it could cause them problems in future negotiations.