Benitez, Newcastle Left Furious After Sturridge Snub

It came from left field but Daniel Sturridge has somehow ended up West Bromwich Albion for the rest of the season. After Sevilla and Inter Milan both entered and exited the rumor mill as destinations for the prolific Liverpool forward, however, for most of the transfer period, the likely destination had appeared to be with strugglers Rafa Benitez and Newcastle. The need had been clearly there and interest concrete, with the ex-Liverpool manager personally heading up negotiations with the injury-plagued striker.

In fact, a loan deal was so close to being done—wages and fees both agreed—that the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder reported that a Newcastle welcoming committee was waiting at the club’s training ground to run a medical. Instead, the enigmatic Liverpool front man made a shocking last minute reversal to join the relegation battling Baggies, reportedly leaving Newcastle and Benitez absolutely livid.

Newcastle were expecting Sturridge to travel north this lunchtime. He hasn’t.

— George Caulkin (@CaulkinTheTimes) January 29, 2018

Whispers were that Sturridge had opted for Pulis-ball at the dregs of the table over the 15^th-place Magpies, something the 28-year-old adamantly denies, saying he’s made the decision solely for “footballing reasons,”

“This felt like the right fit,” Sturridge said. “I’ve got friends here I’ve played with before, the manager spoke very well, the challenge with the team and the style of play. I just felt this was the right fit for me.”

The Tynesiders have now been left scrambling to fill their lack of production in front of goal with only 48 hours left in the transfer window. Deals for Feyenoord forward, Nicolai Jorgensen and Leicester City’s Islam Slimani have struggled to cross the finish line, while Liverpool forward Danny Ings will most likely be retained by the Reds as a 2^nd or 3^rd choice striker.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com