He believes £8m should have been the going rate for Hanley in the present transfer market – especially for a “club like Newcastle who have got money to throw around with parachute payments”.
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Newcastle are close to signing Blackburn defender Grant Hanley for a reported fee of £5.5million.
Hanley joins Newcastle, who were relegated to the Championship last season, after making 201 appearances during a six-year spell at Blackburn.
Scotland worldwide Hanley, 24, has signed a five-year contract at Newcastle and becomes Rafa Benitez’s sixth signing of the summer.
He scored nine goals during his time at Ewood Park.
‘Grant is a young player with a lot of ambition to improve and keep growing with us. He is also a strong defender, fast and with personality, a player that surely will increase competitiveness in his position’.
In what was becoming one of the most drawn out transfer sagas of the summer in the Championship, Newcastle United have managed to prise Grant Hanley away from Blackburn Rovers.
Hanley will become Rafa Benitez’s sixth summer signing, following on from Matz Sels, Jesus Gamez, Matt Ritchie, Issac Hayden and Dwight Gayle.
‘It is an exciting step in my career but it doesn’t stop there.
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Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez let Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor go following relegation from the Premier League and has been seeking reinforcements for Chancel Mbemba and Jamaal Lascelles.
