Newcastle agree £6 million fee with Chelsea for Christian Atsu

After a successful loan spell, The Guardian has reported that the two clubs have agreed to a fee of £6 million to make the loan switch a permanent one

The on-loan winger has been one of the driving forces behind Newcastle's league triumph this season, scoring five goals and assisting thrice, either side of representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations which they lost to eventual champions Cameroon in the semi-finals.

The two clubs have agreed on a £6 million deal after the Magpies took up the option to make Atsu's loan switch a permanent one and triggered the clause in his contract with the bid. However, there is still some work to be done regarding the player's contract and personal terms.

Rafael Benitez wants to start his recruitment process early for Newcastle's return to the top flight and the acquisition of Atsu from Chelsea would signal a bright start for the Newcastle manager.

Atsu joined Chelsea for £3.5m from Porto in the summer of 2013 but found chances at Stamford Bridge hard to come by. He has had loan spells at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Málaga and currently Newcastle.

His impact for Newcastle exponentially increased in the latter part of the season after taking some time to adjust to the Championship.

He scored in the 4-1 victory over Preston North End that secured promotion to the Premier League and again in the 2-0 win over Cardiff that set up a dramatic final day of the season where Newcastle claimed the title after a slip-up by Brighton & Hove Albion against Aston Villa.