Newcastle United received £3million less than first reported for centre back Chancel Mbemba, according to Portuguese outlet O Jogo.
The publication states that Newcastle received roughly £4million for the 42-cap DR Congo international, which contradicts reports at the time of the sale that Porto purchased the player for £7.2million.
The transfer fee was undisclosed at the time, so it’s difficult to know which report is most accurate. However, the Magpies certainly made a loss on a player they signed for around £8million in 2015.
Regardless of the fee, Mbemba has yet to get off the ground for the Portuguese giants. The 24-year-old has not made an appearance for the club since his summer move.
OPINION
This is a rather confusing development. It seems strange that the fee published by the English media when Mbemba was sold was so much higher than what is now being reported in Portugal. The timing of the report from O Jogo is unexpected too, as the player’s move was completed many weeks ago. This does seem like the sort of thing would only happen to Newcastle, however. The way the club is run is obviously flawed, and this just feels like something that sums them up completely. £3million is not a lot of money to a Premier League football club, but Mike Ashley is such a penny pincher when it comes to the Magpies that this is probably a big deal to him. However, the two clubs were probably clear on the transfer fee all along, and the two country’s media outlets have simply received conflicting reports. This likely isn’t as big a deal as it sounds.
