The complicated case of Jonjo Shelvey…
By Durim Halimi
Jonjo Shelvey’s situation at Newcastle United is going from bad to worse by the minute.
Jonjo Shelvey is not happy on Tyneside after being left on the bench and being Rafa Benitez’s last choice in central midfield. Shelvey has not started a match for the Magpies since November due to a lingering thigh injury, but he has been ignored even after recovering from his injury. In an attempt to show that he is ready for action, the mercurial midfielder even volunteered to go play with the U-23 squad against Fulham several weeks ago, but his dedication simply earned praises, not playing time.
A new report claims that Shelvey has reached his boiling point and his last meeting with Benitez in the manager’s office turned into a heated exchange. Shelvey went from a top player on Tyneside to potentially being the first player out the door this summer.
His desire to leave is completely understandable, but the fact that Shelvey is so prone to injuries will turn away interested parties. West Ham have been linked with a move for Shelvey for two seasons now, but a new report this week claims that West Ham is no longer fully sold on Shelvey.
Having only played 32 minutes of action as a late substitute since November is taking a toll on Shelvey individually and on his stock from a business perspective. Newcastle can definitely forget about seeing a £20M offer come through the door for his services. At this point, the club may only be able to sell him for £12M to £13M, realistically speaking.
light. Related Story. Benitez has his doubts about Shelvey
It is difficult seeing a talented player with so much Premier League experience ride the bench, but Benitez is determined to play Isaac Hayden and Ki Sung-yueng over Shelvey despite Sean Longstaff being out of the picture for the remainder of the season. Even if Benitez decides to start Shelvey in the final games of the season it will be far too late in the midfielder’s eyes. One thing is for certain though, Shelvey will leave if Benitez signs a contract extension at the end of the season. If Benitez leaves, Shelvey has a second chance with the Toon.