Real Betis are planning to tie defender Aïssa Mandi to a new deal with an increased release clause as a result of rumoured interest from Newcastle United.
The centre back has been linked with a move to St James Park this summer, alongside Nabil Fekir, should the club be taken over by a wealthy Saudi investment group.
Those reports indicated the Magpies were interested in the Algerian defender and would have no problem putting €20m on the table to convince Betis into a sale.
Naturally, the assumption was that would cause some concern at the Spanish club but, according to Estadio Deportivo, that is not the case.
Their idea is to increase his release clause, which currently stands at €30m, to €50m, since that price makes him an ‘attractive piece’ for clubs in Europe such as Newcastle.
There is a catch, though. Estadio explain that if a renewal doesn’t happen this summer Betis will be forced to sell to avoid losing the defender on a free transfer next year as he’ll be able to negotiate with other clubs come January should he fail to sign.
Therefore, perhaps Newcastle would be wise to hold their horses and wait to see how those contract negotiations develop before making their move for Mandi.
