Feyenoord general manager Jan De Jong has defended the Dutch club’s decision to keep striker Nicolai Jorgensen in January after turning down three bids from Newcastle.
Rafa Benitez had wanted Jorgensen to spearhead his attack during the second half of the season but United came nowhere near matching Feyenoord’s asking price of £20 million, with a final bid of £15m flatly rejected.
The 27-year-old has scored nine goals in 23 games this season and De Jong insists that Feyenoord are content with the decision not to cash in on the Denmark international, noting that they weren’t compelled to sell to Newcastle in the first place.
“We wanted to keep as strong a team as possible and Jorgensen is part of that,” De Jong told Algemeen Dagblad.
“We do not regret having kept him at De Kuip, otherwise we would have let him go.
“We did not have to sell him, he just stays with Feyenoord, and it is not true that a bid of less than €17m means that we would have done wrong.
“He is still important to us now, for example in the quarter final of the cup against PSV.”
The Magpies instead turned to Leicester City striker Islam Slimani, who wrapped up a loan move to St James’ Park on transfer deadline day and could make his debut against Bournemouth a week on Saturday.
