News

£30m player told not to get stuck on the bench after being linked with Newcastle move

Add as preferred source on Google

One of Newcastle United’s summer targets has now been warned that he shouldn’t be joining a big side only to sit on the bench.

There’s been a lot of interest in Copenhagen’s Roony Bardghji with several Premier League clubs monitoring his situation after what has been a breakthrough season for the 18-year-old.

Speaking to TV4, retired Swedish star Mikael Lustig has urged the winger not to join a big side where he won’t start every week as Newcastle hope to bring in some top young talent in the summer.

Newcastle target given warning over summer transfer

It’s inevitable that Bardghji is going to move somewhere in the summer as he has proved he is a far too exciting of a talent to spend another season in the Danish first division after his Champions League heroics.

Clubs like Newcastle, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United have all shown an interest in signing the teenager, but it’s very unlikely that any of them would be able to offer him a starting role straight away.

That is what Lustig is hoping to avoid as he urges his fellow countryman to make a move that would allow him to develop his talent by playing week in week out.

However, that is easier said than done as Bardghji would not only have to resist the temptation of the huge wages these big clubs can offer, but they are also likely to offer more money to Copenhagen than some of these smaller teams.

If they can get the balance of playing time right then there’s no reason why the young star can’t excel somewhere where he’s not the star man who’s expected to play every minute of every game.

On Bardghji, Lustig said: “I have wanted him in the squad for a long time.

“He has shown that he can sit on the bench, come on and decide games, which he has done.

“And I think the national team have missed that.

“At the same time, we need players who play week-in-week-out as it’s far too bad in there.

“So, I hope, first of all, he gets to play for FCK and then make a smart choice and doesn’t go to too big a club and get stuck on the bench.”

FC Copenhagen vs Manchester United  - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Jan Christensen / FrontzoneSport via Getty Images

Bardghji won’t come to Newcastle for cheap

Newcastle have been tracking the Swedish international for a matter of months now, so their interest is certainly serious and they may just be waiting for the right time to make a move.

Primarily playing as right-winger, Bardghji could be an ideal player to come in and perhaps deputise or replace Miguel Almiron whose long-term future at the club looks in doubt after some January transfer rumours.

But it won’t be easy to pry the young talent away from Copenhagen as previous reports suggest that it will take around £30m to secure Bardghji in the summer.

That would be a fair amount of Newcastle’s budget swallowed up and after last year’s transfer debacle with a number of young players brought in who would rarely feature, they might be thinking twice about going down that road again.