Newcastle United’s hopes of staying in the Premier League have taken a major boost after beating Burnley 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies came from behind to win at Turf Moor, with Allan Saint-Maximin coming off the bench to give Steve Bruce a huge three points.
The job isn’t done yet, but fans may already have one eye on another season in the Premier League – and potential new recruits this summer.
One player linked with Newcastle is Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Magpies intend to make an £8million bid.
Now, Ajer is a great talent; he’s tall, he’s quick, he can bring the ball out from the back and he can play at centre back, right back or in holding midfield if needed.
He’s just 22 and appears to have huge potential, but there’s a big problem – Celtic’s asking price is allegedly a staggering £35million.
Celtic fans mocked Newcastle for their planned £8million bid, and offering £27million less than the asking price looks embarrassing on the surface; another sign of the penny-pinching under Mike Ashley.
However, maybe this isn’t quite as ridiculous as it looks. After all, Ajer’s contract has just over a year left to run, and Newcastle would be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with the Norwegian ace in January 2022.
That isn’t all that far away, in the grand scheme of things. Paying £35million for a player that could be signed for nothing in less than a year would be foolish, and maybe Newcastle’s valuation is closer to being right than many think.
£8million won’t get Ajer; Celtic won’t sell that cheaply, but if Newcastle can go up to the £13million Celtic received for Virgil van Dijk in 2015, it may become a little more appealing.
Celtic won’t get that £35million given Ajer’s contract, and it’s more likely that the fee will be between £10million to £20million before he walks for nothing – and Newcastle would be wise to make him a vital target this summer.
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