Transfer collapsed because Newcastle United refused to pay agent fee

 

L’Equipe have a feature in their Sunday edition on Bafetimbi Gomes and how the player left Lyon. Gomis’ former club play Marseille today, the club he’s on loan at from Swansea City.

Newcastle United have been strongly linked with a move for Gomis a couple of times, but it’s clearly never come off. Rafael Benitez could have had the striker in his current Newcastle squad had previous club attempts been successful, and L’Equipe believe they know the reason why Gomis didn’t end up at St James’ Park.

The French newspaper explain that in the summer of 2013, Lyon were keen to sell Gomis because of the costs of their new stadium. A move to Newcastle was ‘close’, but at the last minute the whole thing collapsed with the English club refusing to pay the player’s agents their commission.

Newcastle had every right to hold back the commission, but L’Equipe have spoken to ‘one of his agents’ who told them Gomis wouldn’t go back on his word and see the representatives miss out.

Sounds like a total mess, and not on Newcastle’s side.