with a report claiming that Newcastle were tracking the Estudiantes player, and that he would opt for a move to St James’ Park if Eddie Howe’s side made a formal move.
The Magpies were linkThat could now seemingly be on the horizon, with a new report from Argentina claiming that Toon officials are ready to make their opening bid for Rollheiser.
Newcastle prepare bid for Benjamin Rollheiser
According to TNT Sports, Newcastle are ready to offer £8.6million to sign Rollheiser from Estudiantes. They state that Aston Villa are also keen, but you have to imagine he would prefer to join the Magpies after they thumped Unai Emery’s side 5-1 on Saturday!
While Newcastle might have the edge over Aston Villa, it sounds like the proposed opening bid might not be enough for the Argentinian side to say yes.
That is because TNT Sports add that Estudiantes chairman Juan Sebastien Veron (yes, the former Manchester United midfielder) has stated that Rollheiser will cost just shy of £13million.
It still is not a huge amount, but just over £4million more than what Newcastle are looking to pay. Whether or not there is room for negotiation remains to be seen.
It will likely depend on how much Newcastle really want to sign Rollheiser, and how desperate Estudiantes are to sell. If the Magpies are really keen and Estudiantes really need the cash then surely a compromise can be reached.
An exciting talent
Hopefully that does happen, as the attacker sounds like a really exciting talent. He has been described as ‘decisive‘, and that is exactly what he has been in Argentina this season. Primarily playing on the right wing, Rollheiser has scored 12 goals and provided five assists.
Those numbers are really impressive, and Newcastle must believe he has the talent to thrive in England as well as South America.
He is of an age where he would arrive as a first-team player rather than a youth prospect, which does raise some question marks. The Magpies are very wary of financial fair play right now, and are currently focussed on making defensive signings before the transfer window closes.
