COMMENT
Newcastle have lost talented attacker Alex Gilliead for nothing, after a contract impasse, according to the Chronicle, and it represents a huge misstep.
Everyone knows that money is tight at Newcastle and that every penny counts this summer as Benitez looks to build a squad that can step up from last season’s impressive Premier League finish.
Which is why it’s even more baffling that Newcastle would put themselves in a position where they’ve lost out on getting anything for the 22-year-old, not even a penny of compensation, after not offering him a new deal earlier in the year.
Gilliead is without a club at the moment and the Chronicle claims that Newcastle are now considering a revised offer for him – but that ship has surely sailed.
Talking in the Chronicle, Gilliead said: “It hasn’t worked out the way I wanted it to. But these things happen and you just have to try to find your best option after that.”
It sounds like Gilliead didn’t want to leave and would have taken a new deal.
Even if there was no route through to the first-team it would have meant Newcastle could have got a fee for the player – there are plenty of clubs interested in the 22-year-old.
Steven Gerrard is said to be interested in taking him to Rangers, and a bunch of Championship sides are credited with an interest.
As a free agent he’ll be a lot more attractive as a proposition, but it’s Newcastle who will lose out.
Gilliead came up through the youth ranks at Newcastle and has impressed on loan stints at Bradford, Carlisle and Luton.
Newcastle have put all the work in and now someone else is set to reap the rewards.
At a time when money is everything, that represents a huge misstep.
