Jonjo Shelvey is on the brink of signing for Nottingham Forest, and it is a deal that has completely taken Newcastle United by surprise.
That is according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, who states that the Magpies have been caught out by the 30-year-old’s imminent move to the City Ground.
The midfielder is set to be announced as a Forest player today, after arriving there on Monday to complete a medical. He will reportedly sign a two-and-a-half year deal with Steve Cooper’s side, keeping him there until 2025.
That contract offers Shelvey more security, as his Newcastle deal was set to expire in the summer. He would have been given a one-year extension if he started two more games, but Forest are handing him a longer contract.
The deal has left Newcastle scrambling to find a replacement, and Downie has now provided some insight into the club’s stance over Shelvey’s imminent departure.
Newcastle were not expecting to lose Jonjo Shelvey
Speaking on Sky Sports News on Tuesday morning, Downie addressed the midfield situation at St James’ Park.
“Newcastle are looking to bring a midfielder in very late on in this transfer window and that is because Jonjo Shelvey is completing a permanent move to Nottingham Forest,” he said.
“That was a deal which caught Newcastle out over the weekend. They were not expecting to lose the midfielder who has been here for seven years but Forest are offering him a two and a half year contract and he only had five months left on his Newcastle deal.
“The decision has been made to allow him to go.”
Shame to see Shelvey leave for Nottingham Forest
The move to Forest comes after talk of a transfer to Turkish side Besiktas. However, Eddie Howe denied those rumours and stated that Shelvey was not leaving. But now a U-turn has occurred.
Going into this window, it never looked likely that Shelvey would go. Plenty of fringe players needed to be moved on, but not Shelvey. If anything, fans were eager to see the £12million man back in action after struggling with injury.
His decision to join Forest has left Newcastle in a precarious situation, and it appears as if the club are struggling to find a replacement. Not signing anyone would leave the Magpies light in midfield, but it looks as if a deal for Conor Gallagher is not going to come to fruition.
It is a great shame to see Shelvey leave, especially given the success we are now enjoying. It would have been brilliant for him to be a part of it, given the role he has played since his arrival in 2016.
But he has decided that a move to Forest is best for his career, and that is understandable. It is a decision that has ‘caught Newcastle out’, and made a nervy day on Tyneside all the more tense.
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