West Brom striker Salomon Rondon’s release clause will remain at £16.5 million after the Baggies failed to win promotion back to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs.
Salomon Rondon has been attracting significant interest from a number of Premier League sides in recent months, with his strong form while on loan at St James’ Park with Newcastle United catching the eye.
Reports have claimed that the Venezuelan has “no future” at the Hawthorns beyond the end of this season, and he is likely to make a move away from the club this summer. If West Brom had been promoted to the Premier League, Rondon’s price tag would’ve gone up significantly, removing the £16.5 million release clause in his contract.
However, after the Baggies lost to Aston Villa on penalties on Tuesday night, their place in the Championship for the 2019/20 season has been confirmed, meaning it will still cost any buying clubs £16.5 million to take Rondon on a permanent basis.
Loan club Newcastle United are in the driving seat for Rondon, with the Venezuelan keen to stay with the club and Rafael Benitez keen on a permanent deal.
However, the question marks surrounding Benitez’s future with the club combined with owner Mike Ashley’s unwillingness to spend money on players either at their peak or beyond could work against Rondon in his bid to stay on Tyneside.
Wolves, West Ham and Everton have also been credited with interest in Rondon in the run-up to the summer transfer window.
The striker scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in 32 games across all competitions, helping Newcastle to a respectable 13th placed finish.