Odysseas Vlachodimos' future to be decided after Sevilla avoid drop
As far as bad signings go, you'd be hard-pressed to find a worse one in Newcastle United's PIF-era than that of Odysseas Vlachodimos.
No disrespect meant to the player, but the £20 million signing of the Greek international goalkeeper was an absolute shambles from back to front.
Eddie Howe didn't want him; nobody at the club actually wanted him. Newcastle were closing in on signing James Trafford before this deal was made. He only came to Newcastle as part of the other shambolic transfer that saw Elliot Anderson go the other way to Nottingham Forest.
Forest got a £100 million player for £35 million, and we paid £20 million for a £3 million goalkeeper. All so that both clubs could avoid a points deduction for breaching PSR.
Sevilla avoided relegation, which could be good for Ody
Eddie Howe often praised Vlachodimos' attitude in training, but it was clear that he wasn't wanted at the club. Because the Magpies paid so much for him, getting him off the books isn't going to be easy.
In the summer, he managed to agree a loan deal to Sevilla in Spain, and he established himself as the No 1 there; they love him and have made no secret of their desire to keep him beyond the loan agreement.
Unfortunately, Sevilla's finances won't stretch to a deal that works for Newcastle, and the fact that they've been battling relegation all season has put any hope in serious jeopardy. Sevilla managed to beat the drop, and The Chronicle reports that they are very keen to keep hold of the Greek star.
Let him go!
Whether a deal can be done will depend on how charitable Newcastle are feeling, you'd imagine. Newcastle are going to have to take a pretty big hit if they want to let him leave, but surely, it's got to be worth it.
It just feels cruel keeping hold of him when he clearly has no place at the club, and when there's a club that adores him, who he loves playing for. Just take the hit and let the lad move on.
PSR is gone now, replaced with Squad Cost Ratio, so getting his wages off the books is a better move overall. At this point, we just feel bad for Ody. He seems like a nice guy, and he's never made any noises about being stuck at Newcastle; he's just got on with things. Let him continue his career.
