© EuroFootball.com
Team coach Glenn Roeder confirmed that winger Damien Duff should play for his coached team next season. The 27-year-old Irish national team player has already agreed on personal contract terms and is currently undergoing a medical examination at the club, and should be officially presented to the media on Monday.
"We are very close, he just needs to pass the medical examination. We do not expect any problems and are just waiting for confirmation from the doctor so that everything can be finalized. I cannot describe how happy I am to have a player of such skill. I think it will also delight our fans," Roeder said before the Intertoto Cup match against Norway.
It was believed that Tottenham Hotspur was leading the race for the winger, but Chelsea rejected their £7 million offer, and Newcastle stepped in and offered around £10 million.
Duff moved to Chelsea from Blackburn for £17 million in 2003, but his chances of playing next season significantly decreased when Michael Ballack, Salomon Kalou, and John Obi Mikel arrived at the club this summer. The player returned to the team's training camp on Monday, but later head coach Jose Mourinho admitted that they were preparing to part ways with the winger.
"I like Damien as a player and as a person," Mourinho said. "I talked to him for a few hours and understood what he was thinking. Everything that followed afterward became business. He is a very good player, and we will try to do good business with other clubs."
This transfer is good news for Newcastle fans, as the team recently lost their legendary captain Alan Shearer to retirement and striker Michael Owen is sidelined with an injury until the new year. However, Roeder is not content with just Duff and promised to look for more new reinforcements.
"Since you can only carry out one deal at a time, we will first finish with Damien - hopefully by Monday afternoon - and then we can start talking about new players. We have a list of players and we will try to work with it," said the Newcastle manager.
