Major news has emerged from the North East over the past 24 hours, with reports now claiming that Rafael Benitez is ready to sanction a significant departure.
The Daily Express claims that talks between West Ham have been productive and a £12m sale of Jonjo Shelvey is close, although the Magpies want to delay a deal until they land the ideal replacement for the England international.
Former Liverpool man Shelvey has been in-and-out of the Newcastle side this season, though did score in the FA Cup victory over Luton Town at the weekend, and a sale would hand Rafael Benitez a significant financial boost.
Not only would a £12m fee raise funds for the Spaniard to pursue his own January targets, the Magpies would also remove around £80k-a-week from their wage bill- once again handing Benitez the opportunity for movement on the market.
Shelvey is seen as expendable by many but the fact that West Ham, like Newcastle, are threatened by relegation means that it could be seen as a deal that directly strengthens a rival- which would be controversial, particularly if the club were to suffer an immediate return to the Championship.
