Magpie keeper sees move to Anderlecht fall through
Newcastle United keeper Matz Sels’ proposed move to Anderlecht is off, according the Belgian outfit’s managing director Luc Devore.
Sels spent the whole of last season on loan with the Jupiler League side and they were keen to make the arrangement permanent.
But it appears the finances of the deal have proven a stumbling block.
Devore told Voetbalkrant: “If more than 10 new players have to be added, we cannot spend too much on one player.
“The financial picture for the Sels transfer became too big, so [Frank] Boeckx and [Thomas] Didillon will compete for the spot under the bar.”
Newcastle are thought to value the player at £3million.
Anderlecht had hoped to tie up a joint deal for Sels and former defender Chancel Mbemba, but were also priced out of that move, too.
That has not stopped other clubs retaining an interest in the DR Congo international, though.
With no financial agreement in place with Porto for the sale of Mbemba, a new side are reportedly set to enter the race to land him. Portuguese outlet Correio
da Manhã are reporting that Turks Trabzonspor could attempt to muscle in on any deal for Mbemba.
Mbemba has fallen way down the pecking order at St James’s under Rafa Benitez and is all but certain to depart this summer, but the Magpies will not sell on the cheap.
Meanwhile, reports in France suggest that Newcastle are set to join Southampton in the chase to sign 25-yearold Toulouse centre-back Christopher Jullien.