Newcastle United
Newcastle United’s €27m move for Sean Steur is “almost a bargain” for the Magpies given the inflated prices for players on the current market.
That’s the opinion of journalist Kenneth Perez. He’s defended Newcastle’s move for the 18-year-old Ajax youngster after it was confirmed this week while appearing on ESPN.
Newcastle’s new midfielder
Sean Steur was confirmed as a Newcastle player this week after Newcastle made a €27m move to sign the Ajax youngster in a surprise deal.
The Magpies are moving quickly to rebuild their midfield following the departure of Sandro Tonali. They’ve already wrapped up a deal for Steur, while a price has been agreed with Freiburg for Switzerland star Johan Manzambi.
Eyebrows have been raised about the deal for the Dutchman. That’s given he only made 26 appearances for Ajax before his departure. He’s a product of their youth system, playing for them at every level.
They were keen to keep him at the club but a failure to offer a clear path forwards, something Newcastle have offered, has led to his move to St James Park. At the price paid, he is just outside Newcastle’s top 20 arrivals of all time.
Price tag defended
That’s raised some eyebrows in the Netherlands, but Perez doesn’t think it should be.
“You have to put it into perspective,” he said.
“Clubs no longer sign players based on their past performances, but on their progress and potential. They see something in this lad.
“They’re actually buying a youth player, in the hope that he’ll develop into a top player. We see an Eredivisie player, but they see one of the greatest talents. And for top clubs, less than €30m for a player like that is almost a bargain these days.”
Key takeaways
Dutch pundits are notoriously harsh, so this transfer praise is rare
Sean Steur wasn’t widely known outside of the Netherlands, so the fee caused surprise
Multiple Dutch reports have pushed him forward as Eddie Howe project
He’s expected to stay with the Magpies rather than go out on loan
🇩🇪 Johan Manzambi | ‘Concrete movements’ ➡️ Newcastle United in direct contact for €50m+ player https://t.co/uXlDzDvh4n #nufc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) July 8, 2026