Benitez hails experience of Ki signing
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez is happy with the capture of free agent Ki Sungyueng, released by Swansea City, to replace the outgoing Mikel Merino.
South Korea captain Ki, who enjoyed a productive loan stint with Sunderland in 201314, signed a two-year deal with the Magpies late last month.
Merino, 22, meanwhile is set to join Real Sociedad in his native Spain, thanks to a release clause in his contract.
Asked what Ki would bring to his team, manager Benitez said: “He will bring experience.
“He has experience in the Premier League, he has quality. Mikel was a young player with great potential, but now we have a player who has been there before.
“When we first signed Mikel, people forget that the reason we got him from Borussia Dortmund was because he had this condition too – he had a release clause which he could use if he was not playing as much as he wanted. “In this case we did that. He was playing really well for us, and I was really pleased with him at the beginning of the season. “After he had the injury, when he went two months without playing, he played less and after Jonjo (Shelvey) and (Mo) Diame did really well.
“But that is football – and we move on.”
Newcastle are close to confirming the loan signing of Chelsea’s Brazilian winger, Kenedy.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are reportedly in talks to sign Stoke and Switzerland utility forward Xherdan Shaqiri. It is understood that the 26-yearold’s release clause is more than £13million.