OPINION
Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam shared his hunch about Newcastle United’s transfer dealings this summer and suggested they could be interested in signings free agents such as Danny Welbeck, Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill.
The journalist revealed you got the feeling that the Magpies could be tempted by free agents, such as the trio he namedropped, as they were players that weren’t going to cost a lot of money but could do a job for the team.
“You get that feeling that they may be interested in some of those free agents we’ve been speaking about; Danny Welbeck, Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, players that aren’t going to cost a lot of money and that could go into Newcastle do a job for them,” said McAdam on Sky Sports News (12:42, Tuesday, July 2nd).
However, surely McAdams has ignored a clear issue regarding Newcastle potentially considering those players, as he hasn’t taken into account that they’re not as cheap as they seem.
All three were on mega money at their last club, and probably won’t be willing to take such a significant pay cut just to play for the Magpies.
Welbeck earned £125,000-a-week at Arsenal before his deal expired, according to Spotrac, Jagielka earned £50,000-a-week (Source: Spotrac), and Cahill earned an impressive £100,000-a-week at Chelsea (Source: Spotrac).
Given that Spotrac claim the Magpies current highest earner is Jonjo Shelvey, who earns £70,000-a-week, it shows the Magpies don’t play the sort of money those experienced free agents are used to.
In fact, Jagielka, who earned the lowest out that trio last season, would be the Magpies’ third-highest earner if he got the same wage he did at Everton.
So surely McAdam has missed a clear issue regarding the Magpies not being big spenders on wages when it comes to considering free agents who on paper would be a safe bet to do a job in the Premier League.
Also with players like that, there’s always a catch.
Welbeck, who is 28 and has scored 42 goals in 206 Premier League outings, has found himself a free agent partly due to his worrying injury record.
The attacker has suffered a few serious knee injuries and was kept out of action for 200 days, missing 41 games, during his 2018/19 season due to an ankle issue, as per Transfermarkt, and the Magpies would be hesitant to blow their wage budget on him.
Then there’s Cahill and Jagielka.
Signing Cahill, who is 33-years-old and has played 349 times in the Premier League, or Jagielka, who is 36-years-old and has played 360 times in England’s top-flight, would see the Magpies breaking their own transfer policy that is apparently denying them, Salomon Rondon.
The Daily Star previously reported Ashley was reluctant to sign Rondon as he was set to turn 30-years-old in September, but Cahill and Jagielka are both notably older.
Free agents tend to be north of 30-years-old as their age is normally an issue for a club when trying to get rid of them in exchange for a transfer fee.
So while McAdam thinks the Magpies could consider signing proven players who are free-agents, he hasn’t taken into account the club’s wage or age policies.
