According to a report from The Times, Newcastle United have been told that it will take £30 million to lure Andros Townsend away from Crystal Palace this summer. The England winger has been linked with a return to St James’ Park in the last few weeks but £30 million seems excessive, with the Magpies better served spending that figure on luring Kenedy back to the club on a permanent basis. 

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while 26-year-old Townsend certainly did his bit in trying to keep the North East giants in the Premier League back in the 2015/16 season, he was very quick to abandon ship following their relegation, signing for Palace just six months after moving to St James’ Park.

And while his quality cannot be doubted, his commitment to the cause could be, with several of our resident Newcastle fans unsure as to whether their side should splash out a staggering £30 million on the Englishman, even if he did net twice and lay on nine assists for the Eagles last term.

In fact, there’s only one player the Magpies should be even considering spending that sort of money on this summer, and that’s Chelsea starlet Kenedy, who enjoyed a fine loan spell in the North East last season.

The 22-year-old made the move to St James’ Park back in January and made a huge difference in netting twice and laying on two assists for Rafa Benitez’s side, thus helping them comfortably stave off relegation to finish tenth in the table.

And while those figures aren’t exactly a massive return, what was clear was the impact the Brazilian had on the attacking unit at Newcastle, with the Magpies a significantly more lethal and expansive side going forward with Kenedy in the team.

Is this the best World Cup ever? Give us your thoughts here

And while £30 million for him even seems a tad expensive, one must remember that, at the age of 22, the winger has an extremely bright future ahead of him, but can also make a telling difference in the present as well – ultimately, £30 million seems to be the going-rate nowadays.

Thus, if Newcastle are serious about building upon last season’s tenth place finish, and as such seeking to return to their former glories, they will surely have to spend this summer to meet the ambitions of Benitez, and indeed some of the club’s supporters.

And while Townsend would likely be a useful addition, they should forget spending a hefty £30 million on him, as the greater potential in Kenedy alongside the clear impact he had on the team last term should see the Magpies spend that on bringing him back to St James’.

Newcastle fans… what do you think? Let us know!