Newcastle United goalkeeper Matz Sels has today signed for Belgian Club Anderlecht on a season-long loan.
Newcastle signed Sels from Gent in June 2016 but the shot-stopper has been limited to fourteen appearances this season.
The deal had been ongoing for weeks and it was believed that Sels’s wages would be a stumbling block for the champions of Belgium. However, this was not the case and Sels is now the highest paid player in Belgian Football.
Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez gave Sels a vote of confidence after a shaky pre-season. However, Sels quickly found himself under fire after mistakes against Aston Villa and Hull City. This led to the Belgian being replaced permanently by Englishman Karl Darlow.
With Karl Darlow in-form, Rob Elliot back from injury and England U20’s hero, Freddie Woodman returning from his loan, it was rumoured that both Sels and Dutchman Tim Krul would be shown the door this Summer.
Sels’s last game for the club was in an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Oxford United.
The deal to take the 25-year-old to Anderlecht does not include a clause to buy Sels at the end of the season.