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Mike Ashley claims he will spend £40M for Joelinton

By Durim Halimi

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: Joelinton of 1899 Hoffenheim with fans after the match during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Manchester City and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at Etihad Stadium on December 12, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: Joelinton of 1899 Hoffenheim with fans after the match during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Manchester City and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at Etihad Stadium on December 12, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) /
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Is Mike Ashley really prepared to spend £40M on a striker for the sake of convincing Rafa Benitez to stay?

Several rumors have been reported linking Brazilian striker Joelinton to Newcastle United this summer, but sources close to Mike Ashley are now claiming that he is ready to sanction that expensive deal in the summer. The reports continue to state that Ashley would sanction the £40M transfer fee for the 22-year-old striker from Hoffenheim to prove that he will back Rafa Benitez with sufficient funds if he signs a new contract.

If this is true, then that is great news for Benitez and the Toon Army, however, fans have every right to be skeptical. Ashley is known for making false promises, but he did splash big money to bring Miguel Almiron on Tyneside in January. That being said, let us discuss the likelihood of this move and analyze the type of player Joelinton is.

Could This Deal Actually Happen?

To stay on the safe side, the best answer to this question is no, but the completion of this deal is far from being impossible. The biggest reason for saying no is the simple fact that Ashley has never spent so much money on one player before. In fact, it is hard to remember if he has ever dished out more than £50M for multiple players in one transfer window.

There are, however, two reasons why Ashley could actually break Newcastle’s transfer record in a big way. Firstly, Ashley has always been hesitant to spend large sums of money on players who are over 30-years-old. Salomon Rondon, the club’s top scorer with seven goals this season, is currently on loan from West Brom, but Ashley is still debating whether or not he will pay the £16M price tag to sign him to a permanent contract.

The second reason why this deal should not be ruled out is linked to age once more, but this time it being Joelinton’s age. The Brazilian striker is only 22-years-old and if he proves to be a quality striker in the Premier League, Ashley will see him as a player who could potentially be sold for anywhere between £60M and £70M.

Analyzing Joelinton

Joelinton is a good striker with plenty of talent, but his career stats alone make him out to look like an average player. Joelinton started his professional career in Brazil with Sport Recife in 2014 and joined Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga a year later.

Due to his young age, Hoffenheim loaned Joelinton out to Rapid Wien in Austria. The striker spent two seasons on loan with the Austrian giants and scored 15 goals in his 60 appearances with the club.

Joelinton is currently enjoying the best form of his young career with seven goals and seven assists this season. This form has begun to attract the attention of several European clubs. He would be a good fit in the Premier League as he boasts plenty of pace and is an aggressive player.

dark. Next. Should Newcastle pursue Aaron Mooy from Huddersfield?

His age and potential are major factors that make him look like a good prospect, but if Newcastle were to dish out £40M for a striker, it should be for a player who has a track record of consistently scoring in double figures. The idea of having a young, talented striker is nice, but Joelinton would be a gamble for Newcastle.