Hoffenheim have confirmed that Joelinton has missed their friendly against Jahn Regensburg on Wednesday due to him being in talks with a Premier League club.
According to German magazine Kicker, Newcastle are the team that are in negotiations to sign the 22-year-old striker, who could be on his way to St James’ Park in a club-record deal worth £36.2million.
When asked by a fan who was wondering why Joelinton wasn’t in the squad to play Jahn Regensburg on Wednesday, Hoffenheim’s official Twitter account responded to confirm the Brazilian’s whereabouts.
“Joe is not there, he is in concrete negotiations with a Premier League club. It may be that he leaves us,” the club’s tweet said.
Joe ist nicht da, er steht in konkreten Verhandlungen mit einem Premiere League Klub. Kann sein, dass er uns verlässt.
— TSG Hoffenheim (@tsghoffenheim) July 17, 2019
OPINION
Based on the report by Kicker and this official update by Hoffenheim, it would be fair to assume that Newcastle are closing in on signing Joelinton this summer. Hoffenheim’s admission that the striker could leave them is a great sign for Newcastle and their fans because it seems as though the Tyneside club is finally close to signing a new player. The Toon Army needs a massive dose of good news after all that has happened this summer. The proposed takeover seems to have completed cooled down while Rafa Benitez, Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez have all left with Steve Bruce being appointed as Benitez’s successor. Joelinton is a good young striker who could do well on Tyneside based on how well he did for Hoffenheim last season. The Brazilian scored 11 goals and supplied nine assists in 35 total appearances for the Bundesliga club in the 2018/19 campaign. If he can replicate those numbers in the Premier League, he would be a very good acquisition.
