Rafa Benitez didn’t want to lose Andros Townsend in the Summer just gone but with relegation release clauses put into a contract signed before he arrived, he was powerless to stop any move.
When the clause fee was met and a backdrop of limited coverage in a lower division staring at the international in Townsend, agent speak and various other whispers in the ear may have played a part in thinking where he was best at so it was no surprise that he left.
This week has seen stories emerge of Newcastle being alerted to Townsend’s availability although conflicting quotes from our boss and Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce haven’t helped.
Sky Sports both showed interviews this week with Rafa saying that he’s confident of getting a player that he really likes maybe on loan and Allardyce saying that he wont be selling anyone unless a big bid comes in.
News over this weekend has came from the likes of The Telegraph, Guardian and Daily Mail in which they have stated that talks are ongoing involving a loan with an option to buy but one or two things are complicating a move.
The first is surrounding a £3m instalment that is due soon and how it may be used as a loan fee but from my side I can understand why it may be of issue to a Mike Ashley way of thinking.
The fact that Townsend was sold on the cheap considering his improvement from being in the doldrums in Spurs reserves and we paid £12m to snap him out of it and get the form up. The release clause of £13m was probably daft to have anyway but there you go.
The player then going to a club and seen his form turned on it’s head and surely his value to go down.
Crystal Palace cant view him as a player worth more than was paid anyway and with outstanding amounts owed off his initial transfer fee then surely a permanent move of under £10m should be the fee dependant on what amount is actually outstanding.
Even if half of the £13m has already been paid by Crystal Palace and half is still due although potentially being written off the future price, I can still see logic in refusing to pay a loan fee.
With just over a week left of this rumour mill propaganda filled period of the transfer window, im guessing a few of us will be needing a lie down.
This should be sorted either way this week.
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