FEE AGREED: Woodgate Off To Real Madrid?

By Matthew Jones
August 20 2004

Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson has revealed that the club have agreed to sell Jonathan Woodgate to Real Madrid in a £15 million deal. Robson did not want to sell the England international, but Woodgate WILL be travelling to Madrid for a medical.

The offer was too good to turn down apparantly, with Newcastle netting a £6 million profit, BUT WHO THE HELL CAN WE BUY TO REPLACE HIM? So much for building a side capable of challenging for the title or at least a place in the CL again - maybe even the FA Cup. Who can we bring in now to replace Woodgate?

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Sir Bobby Robson said:

"We are going to make a handsome profit on him, but we are not interested in the profit, we are just interested in the player, but it's huge offer and the club had to consider it. I understand that, but I don't want to lose Jonathan Woodgate.

"It's a huge sum of money, but it's a huge opportunity for him, do we deny him that opportunity? There is a moral issue here.

"He has a medical to pass, I think that is first and foremost.

"If he goes, there isn't one person in this building from the chairman down to the youngest fan who won't be sorry to see him go.

"But he may not go. He may not want to. He may fail his medical, I don't know.

"Players do fail medicals, there isn't any reason why he should because the injury he sustained was almost four-and-a-half months ago and he is almost through that, he's almost ready to play.

"That would be the only element that would affect his medical test because he has no other flaws in his make-up or character or body.

"So there's a good chance, more than a good chance he will pass his medical."

Remember the good old days?

WHO CAN REPLACE HIM?