Former Deportivo de la Coruna sporting director Richard Barral has revealed how Newcastle United managed to secure a cut price deal for defender Fabian Schar last summer.
Schar has been an impressive performer for Rafa Benitez’s side this season, following a bargain £3million move from Deportivo after the Spanish side were relegated from La Liga, with the Switzerland international making 24 Premier League appearances for the Magpies, in which he scored four times and helped his team-mates record seven clean sheets.
Barral has now revealed that a relegation clause negotiated in Schar’s contract when Deportivo signed him from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, allowed Newcastle to secure a cut price £3million deal for the defender.
“It was a very hard negotiation of more than a month but Fabian wanted to come to Spain and we got a cheap deal done for a player of his quality,” Barral told the Chronicle.
“Fabian and the players had relegation clauses inserted into their contracts because the club could not pay the La Liga salaries of all the players, but you can cancel that clause if you pay the player’s original salary after relegation. In the end, they decided to sell Fabian.”
OPINION
Newcastle supporters will be delighted that the club were able to capitalise on the contract situation of Schar at Deportivo after the Spanish side were relegated from La Liga last summer. Schar has gone on to prove to be a bargain at just £3million, with a string of excellent displays ever since managing to force his way into Benitez’s starting line-up after an injury to Jamaal Lascelles. The Switzerland international’s introduction to Newcastle’s first team line-up on a consistent basis coincided with the Magpies upturn in form during the second half of the campaign. That upturn in form allowed Benitez to guide the club away from relegation trouble and to a 13th place finish in the Premier League. Schar has shown that he is very comfortable in possession and has the ability to drive out of the defence with the ball and start attacks for his side, while the defender has also demonstrated his defensive qualities with some timely interceptions and tackles to break up opposition attacks. Newcastle supporters will be hopeful that Schar can continue his impressive form into next season, as the Magpies look to build on successive mid-table Premier League finishes.
