Chancel Mbemba Mangulu and his agent have been speaking about his impending move to Newcastle United – which they claim just has minor details to sort out.
The 20-year-old has been tracked by The Magpies for some time, with chief scout Graham Carr first sending his team to watch Chancel against Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League game. Carr’s team watched him on a number of occasions towards the tail end of the season and have had nothing but positive feedback to report back to the club.
Steve McClaren is desperate to bolster his defensive options this summer, after Newcastle finished last season with the second worst defensive record in the Premier League (behind relegated QPR).
Though Aymen Abdennour and Douglas remain on his wish-list, Mbemba’s signing has been prioritised in order to pave the way for Mike Williamson’s exit.
Reports from both England and Belgium state that the move is ‘close’, but Mbemba was quick to reiterate that it is not yet complete.
“Let’s be clear, the transfer is not yet finalised, there are still a few details, but it is true,” Mbemba told HLN.
“I’m proud of myself, I have worked very hard for this [move to Newcastle]. It’s a dream come true. In Congo, everyone dreams of one day playing in the Premier League. In my country, it is the ambition for all,”
“I’ve visited Mönchengladbach’s facilities. I had a very good conversation with management and the coach but they couldn’t pay Anderlecht’s asking price. I know that Atlético made a bid, but it was also regarded as too little by Anderlecht.”
His agent Fabio Baglio added: “The interest from Newcastle is not new.”
“Their chief scout watched Chancel during the Champions League match against Dortmund. Newcastle continued to follow Chancel. And since they had the bid accepted by Anderlecht, the deal has gone through very quickly.”
Mbemba will undergo his medical tomorrow (Thursday) and is expected to be unveiled on Friday morning.
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