Sporting Gijon have pulled out of talks to sign Cheick Tiote after instead getting Mikel Vesga from Athletic Club Bilbao. Mundo Deportivo report that Sporting will no longer be continuing their efforts to sign Tiote, who has a Newcastle United contract ending in June of this year.
The Spanish club had been keen on the deal, with it reported earlier this month they had a plan to make it affordable. Sporting’s idea was to see Newcastle continue to pay the majority of Tiote’s wages, and there would also be no loan fee involved.
Sporting weren’t prepared to offer any kind of commitment to Tiote beyond the end of the current season, and the club have had a haphazard recruiting policy in recent times.
Mundo Deportivo claim Sporting pulled out because the manager decided he didn’t want a player with Tiote’s qualities. That doesn’t make a great deal of sense, given Sporting will have known that before starting the talks.
This sounds more about money.
