Out-of-favour Tottenham winger Townsend set for £12m move to Newcastle
ross mclean
Tottenham exile Andros Townsend is poised to complete a move to relegation-threatened Newcastle after the two clubs agreed a £12m fee for his services.
The 24-year-old, who has won 10 England caps, has made just three Premier League appearances for Spurs this season and has not featured since their Europa League clash with Anderlecht on 22 October.
He was dropped from Tottenham’s senior squad for games against Anderlecht and Arsenal in November following a row with the club’s fitness coach Nathan Gardiner.
Townsend is set to become Newcastle’s third signing of the January transfer window after midfielders Jonjo Shelvey and Henry Saivet joined for a combined fee in the region of £17m. A £12m outlay would take Newcastle’s spending to £81m since former England manager Steve McClaren’s appointment last summer, an expenditure totally at odds with owner Mike Ashley’s previous spending policy.
Spurs centre-half Jan Vertonghen, meanwhile, faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging a medial knee ligament during Saturday’s win at Crystal Palace.