By support

28th Jun, 2016 | 8:04pm

Newcastle flop agrees transfer after Benitez gives green light for club to snub offer

By Alex Taylor

Seydou Doumbia has joined Basel after Newcastle declined the opportunity to convert his loan move into a permanent transfer, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

The centre-forward spent the second half of the 2015-16 at Tyneside on loan from Roma.

But he found his opportunities limited at the relegated club and Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez has decided not to trigger the option of a permanent deal.

Former CSKA Moscow spearhead Doumbia has now joined Basel on a season-long loan from Serie A side Roma.

The Swiss club announced the deal on their official Twitter account on Tuesday with the statement: “Welcome to FC Basel 1893: Seydou Doumbia!”

The Ivory Coast international failed to score or provide an assist in a torrid time at Newcastle in which the 28-year-old played just three times in the Premier League.

The striker has previously enjoyed successful spells throughout his career though, having scored 95 league goals in 150 league games for CSKA Moscow and netting 58 league goals in 79 games with Young Boys.

Doumbia has three years remaining on his contract but will be keen to impress on his loan spell in a bid to find regular football at a permanent club.

The Magpies are yet to make any major additions to their squad ahead of the 2016-17 Championship season under Benitez.

In other Newcastle news, Alan Shearer has thrown his name into the hat to replace Roy Hodgson as England manager – and Twitter is not sure if he is the right man for the job.