Newcastle United are set to make the first signing under new ownership, as the Magpies have reportedly agreed a transfer fee for Atletico Madrid right back Kieran Trippier.
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The transfer fee will be just north of $16 million, according to a report from NBC Sports’ Premier League insider David Ornstein. Trippier is expected to arrive in Newcastle on Wednesday, at which point he will undergo his medical examination before putting pen to paper.
Kieran Trippier to Newcastle: A deal that works for everyone (mostly)
This would signal a return to English football for Trippier, who left Tottenham Hotspur six weeks after losing the Champions League final in the summer of 2019. Trippier, now 32, spent four seasons at Tottenham after impressing during four years (three in the EFL Championship) at Burnley.
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Kieran Trippier became an England international while at Spurs as well, making his debut in 2017 and starting the EURO 2020 final at Wembley Stadium last summer. All of that is to say that Trippier is a well-known, veteran player who should provide a fair bit of leadership at Newcastle. Diego Simeone, who managed Trippier the last two and a half seasons, was practically desperate to keep him at Atletico Madrid when word of Newcastle’s interest grew louder — quote via the Guardian:
“Kieran Trippier is an extraordinary footballer who has given us a lot and we will try to keep him. We want him to stay, he’s an important player, but nowadays, when a player wants to leave, you can’t force them to stay. You can’t retain them.”
As for Trippier, he will secure the last major contract of his playing career, at exactly the perfect time. While many clubs would be keen on bringing him in the summer of 2022 or 2023 (which his Atleti contract expires), most would be unlikely to offer more than a two- or three-year deal. Presumably, given the cash on hand and the fact that Newcastle will have to overpay to entice players of real consequence to the northeast of England to undertake a relegation battle, Trippier will sign a four- or five-year deal which provides further financial security for himself and his family.
