Newcastle United Target Joelinton Responds to Speculation Linking Him With a Move to Tyneside

​Hoffenheim striker Joelinton has been linked with a move to Newcastle United this summer and has now come out and responded to the speculation surrounding his future at the Bundesliga club.

With Salomon Rondon's loan at ​Newcastle coming to an end when the current season concludes, the Hoffenheim forward would be the perfect replacement for the Venezuelan. 

Joelinton,Mikael Ishak

However, he has dampened these rumours recently with his responses when quizzed about his future. As quoted by ​ChronicleLive, the front man said: 


"I have a contract here, whether we are in Europe or not, that has no influence. I will continue to play here, with or without Champions League football. I'm very happy here and happy to play for Hoffenheim."


The 22 year-old was signed as a long-term replacement for ​Roberto Firmino, after the fellow Brazilian made his move to Liverpool in the summer of 2015. Often dubbed 'the new Firmino', Joelinton is thought to be valued at around £40m. Given their success in replacing the old Firmino, Hoffenheim may be keen to cash in on the new version whilst they can.

Firmino

Other potential suitors for the Brazilian come in the shape of RB Leipzig. This link is made more substantial when taking into account that his current manager Julian Nagelsmann will be taking over at Leipzig at the end of this season.

In contrast, the present Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick has suggested that his club could not compete financially with Newcastle, as he said: "Coming with this fee, the player would get a fitting contract. We are not able to pay this, whoever the player is. If these numbers are true, [Leipzig could not pay it]."


However, the Leipzig boss called into question the likelihood of Newcastle owner Mike Ashley spending this fee on any player. 

Ralf Rangnick

He continued: "It would surprise me, because Mike Ashley, who has never paid more than around £20m for a player, is thinking about selling the club and wants to make a profit."


Considering the player's desire to stay at the club and the Magpies' frugality in the transfer market, the deal at the moment seems unlikely. However, if Ashley was to succeed in selling the north east club before the summer, you can certainly expect these rumours to surface once more.


Source : 90min