Davide Santon Confirmed At Inter For A Pittance

It has come to our attention that the author originally asserted that Gael Bigirimana was ahead of Davide Santon at LB.  While that assertion has a chance of being true, it is as far as we know factually inaccurate.  The fingers responsible for the error have been sacked.  --ed.

We have known all transfer deadline day that Davide Santon was on the way to Inter, and we know that his better half believes that he was treated poorly and shoved out the door against his will.  We know that it was going to be a loan-to-purchase agreement, but now we are starting to hear specifics about the arrangement.

It is going to take another big time injury (or a complete lack of form) for Santon and Inter to not trigger his appearance clause that would finalize the switch as a permanent one.  Reports are that it would take only 10 appearances from Inter's 15 remaining matches to force a permanent transfer for a cost of £2.9m which would sit as a £2.6m loss for Newcastle on the player.

Either Newcastle United have completely lost faith in the player or have decided that his long-term prognosis includes more injuries and that he is not worth keeping him around.  Mike Ashley's Newcastle have rarely sold players on for a loss, more often cashing in big time on promising players brought into the club and as such being willing to shift Santon at such a loss has got to mean something... whatever that is.  Santon has always spoken highly of Newcastle and the fans, and as such it kind of hurts to see him go, but it is clear that Newcastle were not going to have a spot for him moving forward and are quite willing to move ahead with Paul Dummett and Gael Bigirimana Massadio Haidara at the LB position, so we wave and wish him good luck as he tries to get his career back on track with the club that gave him his start.