Newcastle United are hoping to get a deal done for Salomon Rondon, while West Bromwich Albion have a replacement in mind.
Rondon is currently available for £16.5 million due to a relegation release clause in his contract with the Baggies, but TEAMtalk reports that Newcastle are hoping to initially pay significantly less to get the Venezuelan through the door this summer.
TEAMtalk adds that the Baggies have already identified Boro’s Britt Assombalonga as a potential replacement for Rondon, and Boro may be ready to offer their £15 million signing – fee reported by BBC Sport – to Darren Moore’s side as part of their pursuit for Matt Phillips.
It is interesting that Newcastle are prepared to agree a deal for Rondon that will ultimately prove more expensive to the Magpies than if they completed a permanent move during this window. It is not entirely clear whether there will be an agreement that Newcastle have to sign the 28-year-old next summer, but it seems to make less sense for West Brom if that was not a term on the table.
For the Baggies, getting Assombalonga in if they offload Rondon appears to be a smart piece of business given that the former boasts a very good record at Championship level and there is little reason to believe that he could not thrive at the highest level if he could fire West Brom back into the top flight.
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