‘I Would Have Preferred’ – Talent Makes Admission On Newcastle United New Boy | OneFootball

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Ajax talent Jorthy Mokio has admitted he wanted to see Sean Steur, who recently joined Newcastle United, stay at the Dutch club.

Newcastle have undergone significant changes in midfield this summer following Sandro Tonali’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur on a six-year deal, while Bruno Guimaraes continues to attract interest.

Tonali’s exit has earned the Magpies an initial £92.5m, with the fee potentially rising to £100m, and, combined with the £70m received from Anthony Gordon’s departure, has considerably strengthened their transfer budget.

The Magpies have reinvested part of those funds in signing Steur for £23m on a five-year deal after identifying the midfielder as an opportunity in the market, due to no new deal being singed at Ajax.

Ajax regarded the 18-year-old midfielder highly and were keen to tie him down to a new contract, but failed to do so.

Steur was not convinced by the pathway the Dutch giants had planned for his development, allowing Newcastle to swoop in and persuade him to make the move to St James’ Park.

His now former team-mate Mokio admitted that he would have preferred Steur to stay at Ajax, but acknowledged that every player has to choose the path they believe is best for their development.

Speaking to Dutch daily De Telegraaf (via FC Update), he said: “Of course, I would have preferred that he had stayed.

“But ultimately, everyone chooses their own path.”

Newcastle will hope that the Dutch talent can achieve his potential now in the Premier League, which represents a big step up from the Eredivisie.

It remains to be seen which other midfielder Newcastle will target after missing out on Johan Manzambi who the Magpies still wanted to sign despite securing Steur.

With the summer transfer window in full swing, Newcastle are looking to strengthen multiple areas of their squad ahead of next season.