Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez will decide today (Wednesday) whether to take wantaway striker Aleksandar Mitrovic on the club’s pre-season tour of Portugal.
As reported by the Chronicle, the Serbia international has returned to the club after his summer holidays and is disappointed that his protracted move to Fulham is yet to be finalised.
It is said that personal terms have been agreed, but the two sides are yet to decide on a fee despite weeks of discussions as Newcastle hold out for £20million, and Benitez now has to make the big decision on whether to include him on the Portugal tour.
Speaking on Tuesday, as quoted by the Chronicle, Benitez said: “We need to check on how he is, and then we will decide if he will go to Portugal. It is a day off for the rest of the squad (on Wednesday), so we have some time to see how things are. Tomorrow is the future for him.”
OPINION
It will be rather interesting to see whether Benitez decides to take Mitrovic to Portugal with the rest of the squad. The Serbia international will no doubt want to remain in the UK with the reserves in order to complete any move away as quickly as possible once it is agreed. However, there remains the possibility that he could still be at St. James’ Park next season if a move does not materialise, and that means that this training camp in Portugal will be essential for him to get up to speed. It all depends on how close the move to Fulham actually is, and whether Benitez believes it will go through in the coming days. He will certainly want to avoid the situation of having an unsettled player among the rest of the squad, but it may be a reality that he has to face. Another thing that Benitez will be hoping to happen before they leave for Portugal is for at least another signing to arrive, with time now of the essence to integrate new faces before the start of the season.
