Real deal? – Madrid in for Toon’s improved Coloccini?

Posted on December 27th, 2009 | 20 Comments |

fabricio_colocciniThe Sunday Sun and several blogs since have been full of the rumour that Real Madrid are after Fabricio Coloccini. Well technically the paper was full of the rumour and the blogs just reckon Neil Farrington is full of it. Farrington writes that Madrid are weighing up a bid for Coloccini, following a cartilage problem suffered by their Portuguese international centre-half, Pepe, who’s injury may keep him out for the rest of the season.

Allegedly there are others on the shortlist, including Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Velez Sarsfield youngster Nicolas Otamendi, who is also Argentinian. But according to Farrington, Ivanovic looks set to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge and Otamendi lacks height and experience. Which would apparently put our fella top of the wanted pile.

So the Galacticos want our vastly-improved stopper? Fact or fanciful fiction? Stranger things have happened so you’ll not find me jumping the gun, even if the Sunday Sun has occasionally been as wide of the mark in recent times as Rob McDonald was in a black and white shirt. Though if you mentioned it this time last year, despite our Premiership status, I guess to a man we’d have laughed our danglies off, as he struggled to adapt to the English league.

This term has been different and he seems to have found his feet and some form, to help build a fairly formidable Championship defence. Apart from the Sheff Wed game, his recent displays have been a different class to anything else in this division, though there is a valid argument to suggest that he’s not being tested quite so much this season. But either way, he’s doing a solid job for us.

So whether the Madrid rumour is a load of twaddle or not, there’s almost an inevitability that the likes of Colo will be courted in this transfer window. And it might not be just down to Chris Hughton as to whether he stays or goes. Typical that a man struggling to find friends and fans on Tyneside last season, would be sorely missed if he’s shipped out to shape up the finances this season.

NUFCBlog Author: bowburnmag bowburnmag has written 234 articles on this blog.

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20 Responses

  1. I have always thought that colo would leave and kilgannon would come in. big difference in wages

  2. Has anyone else heard the rumor saying Toon trying to bring in Man U’s Macheda on a loan deal?

  3. It’s more likely than some would think.

    A) As Farrington has said he had a good reputation in Spain before he came over here, he’s a realistic target than can do a job, won’t break the bank, not cup tied in the CL, plays for a club that wold sell and would be a good squad player for them when Pepe does return from injury.

    Madrid are a club that would by a player even if he was only going to be a stop gap, see their attempt to sign Jermaine Pennant last January for proof of that.

  4. BBM as you say it started off in the shitty sun. So im hoping its just that as I think he is starting to really settle in to our EPL back 4. But I dont doubt that there is lots of teams aware of him wether we are a CCC club or not as he does have a bit of a bitt of skill about him.

  5. ‘Vastly improved’ – only because he is now marking the likes of Billy Sharpe and not your Rooneys etc – who wouldnt show improvement?
    And he was far from a fan favourite at Depor – he didnt do too great a job over there.
    That said, hes arguably been our top defender this season but his supposed 86k PER WEEK (Jeysus) will be a factor.

  6. Rangerman – I was going to write about Pennant actually but I couldn’t for the life of me decided whether I’d just made it up.

    I think your points might have rounded up my article pretty solidly ;)

    The Spanish rep still being intact will be a big factor as his spell here can be swept under the carpet, and as you say he probably fits the bill quite nicely.

  7. i wouldnt complain about seeing the back of him, has improved i’ll grant ya but not worth what were paying him.

    will his departure unsettle the bull and spidey? i hear they are the three amigo’s of the toon, admittedly, i’m happy to see guti leave too, but really liking enrique at the mo

  9. I am expecting a few empty coat pegs in the toon changing rooms come the end of January..being at the top of the championship has probably given Mike the bright idea of selling more assets.

    I am expecting the club for sale signs to be brought out of the broom cupboard any day soon too.

  11. How could Real Madrid possibly want a player that the Newcastle fans in their wisdom have panned ?
    And the argument sell him as his wages are too high ? Oh! i guess you did`nt get to negotiate his contract, is that something the fans now have a voice in? besides who manages and who the owner is ?
    Face it you dont get to play for Argentina without a certain amount of skills.
    Perhaps we should be happy to have him and not worry about his wages as Mike Ashley does`nt seem to be .

  12. I wouldn’t want colo to go, and i certainly wouldn’t expect real to come in for him, but if somebody does come in for him i think ashley would force the sale and then bring in kilgannon. ashley will make money on the sale and futher reduce the wage budget. two things he has been keen to do in the past.

  13. now then chuck – at best he warms the bench for one of the worst argie teams in living memory & i could imagine fat mike crying himself to sleep every night at the thought of having to pay him £80 grand a week.

  14. It`s generally thought and I also felt that M.A. fully intended to sell at the first real opportunity.
    However I am not so sure anymore, of course someone could always come in with a price he could`nt refuse.
    Somehow I believe there will be no sales of key players, if in fact any during the next window(and there`s still deadwood in the side)
    People buy football clubs for various reasons, vicarious pleasure, profit, etc.
    Think Ashley`s reason was a bit of both, he does I believe enjoy being the owner of a winning team, a team that is on a more sound financial basis and wants desperately to make a return to the PL. where the money is.
    Having made certain gambles that turned brown during his tenure as owner, think he realizes things could again go wrong and failing to gain promotion, would be a disaster.
    In which case it`s my belief he will strengthen the side to ensure that goal and if promoted again spend whats necessary to ensure we stay up.
    With a competitive team in the PL, with perhaps a shot at post season European run, not to mention fifty two thousand paying bums on seats, could be profitable.

  15. Hey! I hear the amount of eighty grand a week being bandied about, anyone can confirm in fact thats what his wage is ?

  16. Ray Cropper
    Have to say, the only ones crying about Colo`s wages are the posters on this blog.
    Why ?
    Gives them an indirect way of knocking him.
    Such a negative group of fans would be hard to find, get with the program , we are leading the league, injured players on there way back, about to further strengthen the side, well on the way back to the PL.
    If asked is the glass half full or half empty, c`mon !

  17. I think he’s done really well this season. He’s now settlng in and yes he is playing against lower quality forwards, but even so, the quality is there to see. Hopefully we will hang on to him and leave the back 4 untouched.

  18. Chuck…yeh 80k is banded about but ashley came in, looked at the books and decided the wage budget was too high….i really really doubt he is on 86k a week…probably the papers are looking on footy manager or summat.

    I think if we can recoup the sort of money we paid for him then let him go. Him and enrique are class players, but they like to try and show it alot when faffin in defence.

    I was really suprised and impressed with how Colo stayed despite relegation. I, like many thought a big Argentine will want out (e.g. martins), but he said he wants to stay and has battled it out so respect for him got that and i believe he deserves another shot in the prem for his performances this season if he wants to stay.

  19. If Colo goes, then i expect Jonas and Enrique to closely follow. I think one thing that keeps them 3 happy is the understanding they have both on the field,and off it.

  20. his wage shouldnt be a problem…ffs the club’s paying almost 200k/week (12 mio/year) for butt, geremi & barton…3 payers who…well…suck… with 12 mio we could get quality…

    i say sign skajelbred & 1 experienced striker, who wont get in the way of our youngsters..but help ’em..

    yes jay jay i know…but i’m also afraid that if colo’s leaving, jose & jonas could follow him out…& i dont want that… so if he’s leaving…sign someone they both respect or are friends with =))