Newcastle United were busy helping Tim Krul out towards the end of the January transfer window. Rafael Benitez had agreed to loan Krul to Ajax at the beginning of this season, as the goalkeeper wanted games and Newcastle were well equipped with Matz Sels, Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow.
Things didn’t go according to plan and it’s taken Krul longer to return to full fitness than the goalkeeper, and Newcastle, will have expected. So, Krul decided he’d leave Ajax and go on loan somewhere else for the rest of the season.
Newcastle agreed to a loan deal with Watford, only for Krul to become frustrated with the Premier League club’s medical tests. An approach from AZ came in and Krul got on a flight to the Netherlands and signed up, Newcastle United once again agreeing.
However, it’s not gone down universally well. Piet Schrijvers, a former Dutch international goalkeeper, and also former AZ manager, believes Krul should have stayed at Ajax and battled against André Onana.
Schrijvers criticised the move and is quoted by Voetbal International as saying: “It may sound old-fashioned, but I think it’s a ridiculous step. Krul was fine at Ajax.”
The former footballer said the Newcastle owned player should realise that battling with someone else is ‘part of’ the game, and he’d have been getting back to his best in training anyway.
Krul will return to Newcastle United in the summer, when it will be down to Benitez to make a decision. The 28 year old has another season left on his contract with the Championship club.
