West Ham in driving seat for Rondon
Mexican club Cruz Azul are the latest overseas team to have shown an interest in the Venezuelan striker.
But West Ham, who are already bid £10m for the striker, are ready to press ahead in a bid to get things tied up after hearing Rondon would prefer to stay in the Premier League.
The 29-year-old outlined towards the end of last season how he would have preferred to stay at Newcastle if Rafa Benitez could have persuaded the St James’ Park boardroom to have struck a deal with West Bromwich Albion.
West Brom are still looking for the £16.5m offer that would trigger a release clause in his contract and they feel Newcastle are now unlikely to return with a bid following Benitez’s departure.
Sources away from Tyneside suggest that Newcastle made an offer amounting to less than the £10m which West Ham have said they will pay. The Baggies, though, are still holding out for the release clause fee, and Newcastle are still unwilling to pay that.
Rondon was knocked out of the Copa America in Brazil yesterday after Venezuela lost 2-0 to Argentina in the quarterfinals. He is now entitled to two weeks holiday before returning to the Baggies.