KIERAN TRIPPIER will remain at Newcastle United for the remainder of the season after the Magpies hierarchy rejected a bid from Galatasaray in the final few hours of the Turkish transfer window.
Galatasaray lodged an offer of around £2.5m late on Tuesday in a last-ditch attempt to prise Trippier from St James’ Park.
The Turkish league leaders were willing to offer the 34-year-old a lucrative three-year contract, but Trippier, whose current Newcastle deal expires in just under 18 months’ time, did not want to leave Tyneside with the prospect of a Carabao Cup final and battle for European qualification to look forward to in the remainder of the season.
Having reluctantly agreed to the £20m sale of Lloyd Kelly at the start of the month, Eddie Howe was adamant he did not want to lose another first-team player, particularly one with Trippier’s experience and ability to play in either full-back position.
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His stance was backed, with the Newcastle hierarchy rejecting Galatasaray’s offer. With the Turkish transfer window now closed, there is no prospect of the Istanbul club making an improved bid in an attempt to twist the Magpies’ arm.
While Newcastle’s ownership group felt compelled to sell Kelly and Miguel Almiron in order to address ongoing PSR issues, there was no such need to lose Trippier.
The Newcastle hierarchy are confident their January business will enable them to avoid exceeding the permitted PSR parameters when the current accountancy period ends at the end of June.
Having lost both Kelly and Almiron without signing a replacement, Newcastle were one player under the permitted limit when they submitted their playing squad for the remainder of the season to the Premier League in recent days.
The defence is looking particularly light at the moment, with Sven Botman and Dan Burn both nursing injury issues and Jamaal Lascelles still weeks away from being able to return after cruciate-ligament surgery.
