Newcastle have been facing a fierce battle in an attempt to avoid relegation to the EFL Championship, but in spite of that, their rich Saudi owners are working hard to secure new January reinforcements. Defender Kieran Trippier of Atletico Madrid, and forward Chris Wood of Burnley have already arrived at St. James' Park.
The transfer of the 30-year-old New Zealand international came as a surprise to many, mainly because the Magpies were expected to attract big-proven players. Another shocking fact is that the richest club in the world at the moment splashed a sum of €30 million to sign a striker who has scored only three goals in 18 appearances in the Premier League this season, despite his worth being estimated at €6 million by Transfermarkt.
Interestingly, Wood has now become the third most expensive player aged over 30 in history, joining the company of two highly popular stars in the world of soccer. Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018 at the age of 33 for €117m, tops the list, while in second is Gabriel Batistuta who moved from Fiorentina to Roma for €36m in 2000. However, Newcastle don't plan to stop there, as another transfer is reportedly already in the works.
Newcastle have agreement with Robin Gosens
According to Sky Italia, Newcastle have agreed personal terms with Atalanta left-back Robin Gossens., while the Italian side should shortly get a formal offer so as to complete the transfer. He would put pen to paper to a three-and-a-half-year deal running until June 2025, with a salary of €3.5m-a-year. In comparison, he is believed to be currently earning €1.5m-per-year.
The 27-year-old player has impressed tremendously over the past three seasons at Atalanta, both in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League, as well as at the Euro 2020, where he was one of the best players in the German national team. The defender arrived in Bergamo in 2017 for a silly sum of €1 million from Eredivise club Vitesse.
