Rafael Benitez warned Newcastle over a week ago that they’d left their move for Barcelona defender Marlon Santos too late, according to journalist Lee Ryder.
Ryder, the Chronicle’s chief Newcastle writer, tweeted on his personal Twitter account that the Magpies have made a loan bid for the Barcelona centre back, but that Benitez has warned the club that they’ve left their move too late.
Rafa Benitez handed #nufc his wish-list yesterday including experienced players in the centre-back and left-back slots. The Marlon Santos loan bid also went in but the club haven’t obtained a work permit yet. Rafa warned #nufc they’d left things too late over a week ago.
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) August 9, 2018
The Spaniard’s warnings look to have been borne out on Wednesday, with the news that the club were facing work permit issues that could derail their move for the 22-year-old.
Ryder’s tweet stated that Benitez has handed the club his wish list containing experienced centre backs and left backs. Santos doesn’t fit in that experienced category, so the Magpies may yet move for alternative targets.
OPINION
This news smacks of the incompetency that has hampered Newcastle’s whole transfer window. If Benitez warned the club over a week ago that they’d left their move for Santos too late, then why have they only just made their loan bid now? Why continue to pursue this target if they knew there was no chance he’d get a work permit in time to sign before the window closed? The club’s approach to this entire window has been baffling in the extreme. Perhaps this will be resolved and Newcastle will find a way to get their man, but it’s still extremely disconcerting for fans on Tyneside. Florian Lejeune suffered his injury weeks ago, and still the club are scrabbling to find adequate defensive cover. As Ryder says, Benitez has given the club his wish list so Magpies supporters will simply have to hope that the club brings in one of the Spaniard’s targets. Don’t hold your breath, though.
