Newcastle in three-way tussle for £9m-rated international – report

Wed 12 July 2017 13:27, UK

By Danny Wright

Newcastle are one of three Premier League teams in a tussle for Ajax defender Jairo Riedewald, according to a report.

The Mirror claims that Crystal Palace and Everton are also keen on the three-times Netherlands international ace, who featured for Ajax in the Europa League final last season.

It is understood that the Eredivisie giants value Riedewald at roughly £9million, but the Magpies might not be in pole position to land the 20-year-old as Palace boss Frank De Boer is said to have a potential advantage in signing him.

Riedewald was handed his first team debut at Ajax by De Boer in 2013.

Newcastle have already made one addition to the centre of their defence this summer in the shape of Frenchman Florian Lejeune, but Riedewald could offer versatility to the Toon squad as he can also slot in at left-back or in a holding midfield position.

He made 32 appearances across all competitions for Ajax last term, scoring one goal which came towards the beginning of their Europa League run which went all the way to the final where they would lose to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.

Football Insider Verdict

Riedewald would be a top addition to Rafa Benitez’s side as he could come in and do a job straight away while also providing excellent potential in the future. The 20-year-old has all the makings of a top defender for the Netherlands international team, which is slowly rebuilding after a near-decade long run of poor performances. The Ajax youth product definitely has what it takes to play in the Premier League, as he is big, pacey and is also decent with the ball at his feet. Newcastle should really go all out in trying to fight off Palace and Everton’s interest. Money might have to do all the talking in this deal.