Newcastle United have reportedly cooled their interest in Leeds United’s versatile winger Jack Harrison due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
According to a report from 90 min, Newcastle United’s pursuit of two of their top transfer targets this summer, James Maddison and Jack Harrison, appears to be over after yet more frustration in their attempts to bring in attacking additions in the current window.
Jack Harrison emerged on Newcastle United’s shortlist of attacking targets last month after they walked away from their pursuit of primary wide target Moussa Diaby, who was rated at over £60 million by Bayer Leverkusen. With Eddie Howe keen to add more goals and assists to his forward line, Harrison was seen as an ideal alternative to Diaby.
He certainly ticks those boxes given his efforts for Leeds United, having been directly involved in 25 goals from 71 Premier League appearances over the past two seasons. Recent reports claimed that Newcastle had submitted a bid for the 25-year-old, with Howe thought to be an admirer of his work rate and attitude.
An initial bid of £17 million was rejected by Leeds United, who were demanding around £35 million for Harrison given that his former club Manchester City also have a hefty sell-on percentage if he departs from Elland Road. However, Newcastle United only valued him at £25 million, well short of the figure that would tempt Leeds into selling their star attacker.
As a result, Newcastle’s interest has cooled significantly due to the asking price, as Leeds are not in a rush to sell after generating over £100 million from the sales of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips. Now, Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani has come out to put Harrison’s speculation to bed and has confirmed that the 25-year-old will “absolutely not” be signing for Newcastle United this summer.
This news comes as yet another blow to the Magpies, who have been determined not to pay over the odds in the wake of a so-called ‘Newcastle tax’ following the takeover that has led to them being labelled one of the richest teams in the world. Howe has cautioned that Financial Fair Play will have an impact on Newcastle United for “a number of years” if they are not careful now.
That is part of the reason why they are currently operating on a restricted and limited budget. It is a bit of a shame since Harrison would have been an excellent addition for Newcastle. However, £35 million would have been too much for a player of his calibre, and the price tag reaffirmed Leeds’s determination to keep him.
With Radrizzani making his stance clear that Harrison will be going nowhere, the Newcastle chiefs will have to realign their radars as they look to continue their sensible approach to the transfer market. As such, they are lining up a swoop for RennesKamaldeen Sulemana, who is reportedly available for a modest £30 million and has a huge upside. It will be interesting to see how that one plays out over the coming days.
