OPINION
With Newcastle United failing to activate the £4m option-to-buy clause in Martin Dubravka’s loan deal as of yet, it seems they’re missing an easy slam dunk when it comes to their transfer business.
The Chronicle reported on Friday that with Rafa Benitez’s future still unresolved at this point, the Magpies have been unable to trigger their option to permanently sign the impressive 6ft 3in tall goalkeeper.
It seems as time passes, it gets trickier and trickier to resolve Benitez’s future as other teams such as West Ham, as reported by The Guardian, are ready to pounce in order to give the manager a way out.
This contradicts a previous report by the Shields Gazette that suggested the Magpies were on their way to securing Dubravka’s services as they had begun talks about him joining the club on a permanent basis.
Dubravka, 29, was a revelation in the 12 appearances he made in the Premier League for Rafa Benitez’s side after joining on loan in January until the end of the recently concluded season.
However even though the transfer window officially opened on Thursday, due to Benitez’s future still being up in the air, the Magpies have been unable to confirm his permanent arrival to St James Park.
While it may be argued that it’s only been a day, given the fact a fee was already agreed as there was a clause included in the loan deal, a suggestion of there still being any form of hurdle to the deal just shows the club’s typical nonchalant attitude that sees them regularly miss out on transfer targets.
The Magpies have seen their club stumble through the transfer window too many times and that even when a deal looks likely, it’s hard to believe it will happen until it’s officially confirmed.
This means that the alarm bells amongst Newcastle United supporters should be once again ringing as any form of delay to an easy signing, such as this, is a cause for concern.
The Magpies left their business late in January and last summer they left it so long that they didn’t do anywhere near enough business to help them flourish in England’s top-flight.
It also should be a relatively easy deal as the goalkeeper has done nothing but publicly share his desire to stay at the club ever since arriving.
“I really hope I get to stay longer than six months, it’s a huge opportunity for my life,” he said when he first joined the club, as quoted by the Shield Gazette.
Therefore while it’s very early in the transfer window, the Magpies’ lack of rush to sort out Benitez’s tricky future before the window opened has caused the club to not even to be able to make an easy slam dunk by swiftly signing Dubravka.
