It is time for Newcastle United’s Marc Guehi saga to reach a conclusion – be it positive or negative.
The Magpies have been targeting the 24-year-old for almost a fortnight, with Paul Mitchell trying to bring Marc Guehi to St James’ Park.
Two bids have been rejected, as Newcastle submitted a third Guehi bid over the weekend. Toon officials await a response, as Newcastle fans pray for a major transfer breakthrough this summer.
It has been a frustrating transfer window for the Magpies, despite doing plenty of business. But while four fresh faces have arrived on Tyneside, none of them improve Eddie Howe’s starting XI.
But Guehi does, and that is why the Toon Army would love to see him in a black and white shirt.
Newcastle now more ‘confident’ about Marc Guehi
Eddie Howe feels the same, which is why club officials are pushing to complete a major deal for the England international.
And, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, there is now even more confidence that Guehi will become a Newcastle United player very soon.
He has been speaking about Newcastle’s interest in Guehi on TalkSPORT on Tuesday morning (7:14am, 13/08/24) and believes that the Magpies’ third bid is much closer to what Crystal Palace are looking for.
“My understanding here is that Newcastle are really quite confident now,” he said.
“The bid is a lot closer to Crystal Palace’s valuation, the player wants the move. Palace, depending on the structure, will be hoping between £65million and £70million, and this offer that Newcastle have made is in the region of £60million. They are not that far apart.
“What we understand on TalkSPORT is that it’s kind of take it or leave it at this stage, which means that we might see a little bit of progress here in the next 24, 48 hours. Newcastle are optimistic that they can sign Marc Guehi and it would be a really flagship signing from their perspective.”
Newcastle are running out of time as Guehi saga drags on
There are more and more grumblings that Newcastle United are looking at alternative centre-backs. That feels like a ‘just in case’ instance, as Newcastle cover their back in fear of failing to land Guehi.
That is smart, but the hope will be that they do not need to turn to their alternatives. Guehi is the top target. He is the best fit for Eddie Howe’s squad, and he is the player who Newcastle want to commit most of their transfer budget to.
But Crystal Palace are in a relatively strong position. They do not need to sell, with Guehi having two years left to run on his contract. That makes now the optimum time to sell, but they do not have to. They could keep him for another year and potentially convince him to sign a new deal.
However, Guehi is keen to join Newcastle. That could be a decisive factor, depending on how much he pushes to move to Tyneside.
But whether this third offer is accepted or rejected, it feels like it could be the last. If Palace say no, it may be time for Newcastle to move on. A centre-back is still required, and the longer that search goes on, the less time there is to commit towards getting a winger.
The clock is ticking, and Newcastle really need to start making some definitive moves. With the Premier League season kicking off this weekend, this really is a decisive few days.
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