There was a time a relegation at Newcastle United would have the vultures circling.
The last time Newcastle failed to beat the drop, the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham swooped in to sign Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko respectively.
While neither of those particular exits caused huge amounts of tears to be shed on Tyneside, it was an indication of the rather lowly status the club had compared to their peers.
Now, things are changing.
Though it sounds slightly heartless, Newcastle could now benefit from a relegation.
Ivan Fresneda now available at a much cheaper price
Indeed, Real Valladolid suffered a dramatic drop on the last day of the La Liga season.
The club, where Newcastle target Ivan Fresneda plies his trade, were condemned to the Spanish second tier after losing to relegation rivals Getafe on a day noted Guardian journalist Sid Lowe described as the “tightest survival battle ever.”
As a result, Fresneda could be available on the cheap.
The Sun claim the defender may now be sold for half of the £35m the club were previously quoting for their 18-year-old.
Fresneda could be a coup for Newcastle
Hailed as “fantastic” earlier this season, signing Fresneda would have to seen as a coup for any team.
Reportedly also tracked by the likes of Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund, he’s certainly a highly-rated talent.
While Newcastle brought in Harrison Ashby over the course of the January transfer window to back-up Kieran Trippier, the options outside of those two don’t exactly look all too convincing.
Javier Manquillo hardly played last season and Emil Krafth is facing an uncertain future after a long-term injury, so there could well be space in the squad for both Ashby and Fresneda.
Wanted by leading teams around Europe and potentially available fairly cheaply this summer, a move would make sense.
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