January 04, (THEWILL) – Newcastle United have struck a £15 million deal to sign Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier, who will be the club’s first signing since being taken over by the Saudi Arabia consortium in October.
The England player, who left Tottenham for Madrid in 2019, is set to get a medical on Tyneside as he prepares to return to the English Premier League.
Trippier will sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with Newcastle, making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history, with a pay rise of 50% from his current £80,000-per-week salary at Atletico Madrid.
Importantly, it appears the 31-year-old’s contract contains no release clause, implying that he could stay at St. James’ Park even if Newcastle get relegated at the conclusion of the season.
On Monday, there were signs that the Magpies were “very certain” that Trippier would be their first signing of the January transfer window, and that they hoped it would be the start of many.
They want a centre defender, two midfielders, and at least one, if not two, additional forwards in addition to a right-back. If the offer was right, they would also be open to other alternatives.
The club’s owners have set aside a sizable January budget in order to offer manager Eddie Howe a realistic chance of keeping his job in the Premier League, and they have backed him up by agreeing to pay Atleti’s £15 million asking price.
Newcastle’s next Premier League match is against Watford on 15 January. Watford is one of Newcastle’s main rivals in the battle to avoid relegation, and Howe is expected to have at least two new faces available for that match.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
