Dennis Praet was linked with Newcastle United in the summer but eventually chose to stay in Serie A with Sampdoria.
It seems that Newcastle United were fighting a losing battle attempting to convince Dennis Praet to swap Sampdoria for St James’ Park this summer.
Il Seccolo XI claimed last month that The Magpies had made a bid of £12.8 million for the Belgian international midfielder, who was seen as one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters during his formative years in Anderlecht.
Yet, it appears that patience may be a virtue for Newcastle with The Chronicle claiming that Rafael Benitez’s side are continuing to scout Praet even with the transfer window closing less than a month ago.
“I didn’t want to leave. I love this club and the president (the rather madcap Massimo Ferrero) is a special person,” Praet was quoted as saying by The Chronicle. “I know Sampdoria received some offers for me but I did not even talk with any other club as there was no agreement between them.
“I’ve never played in the Premier League but I’d be happy to go there one day.”
Long way to go
Therefore, this may just give Newcastle hope that a deal can be conducted one day. In fact, Praet, who The Times claim was also a target for Everton, may not even be ready for a move to the Premier League and his desire to stay in Serie A for the time being looks the most sensible decision.
The attacking midfielder is only 23 after all and has plenty of room for improvement. He started just 19 Serie A games for a mid-table Samp side last season, scoring just once and producing a single assist, and has done little to suggest that he could immediately improve the starting XI of either Everton or Newcastle.
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