Transfer Rumours – Beckford’s Toon Move On Hold?

Posted on December 31st, 2009 | 61 Comments |

Beckford: Hitman on hold, apparently.
Beckford: Hitman on hold, apparently.
Interesting news from the Daily Mirror today reports that Chris Hughton’s most wanted, Jermaine Beckford, is to put a proposed £2 million move to Newcastle United on hold until after Leeds United’s FA Cup match against Manchester United. The less than reliable newspaper also mentions that a deal is not far from being concluded for one of the hottest propeties outside of the Premier League, but the player wants to test his skills against the Red Devils before he moves on.

That’s fair enough, but if the report is true then I would hope whoever is negotiating the deal from our end won’t sign on that dotted line until we’re sure he hasn’t picked up any post-match injuries. Given some of our past transfer dealings, then that’s quite a valid concern!

There is also the chance of bring Marlon Harewood back on an extension of his loan. The main stumbling block could be the £250,000 loan fee that Aston Villa want from us. Bear in mind however, that Harewood is out of contract at the end of the season so for that £250,000 we would effectively get a player who has scored 1 goal every 3 games during his time with us and has Premier League experience. Hughton said about Harewood’s possible return:

“I’ve spoken to all the necessary parties, and we’ve got to look at the options we’ve got, weigh them up, and make decisions on the back of that.”

“He’s their player and rightly he returns to them.”

“I think he’s a player who has certainly got better in the period of time he’s been here.”

“He’s got fitter, and I think that’s showed in his performances.”

All the news surrounding Jermaine Beckford or Malon Harewood may be secondary though as Chris Hughton has identified a defender as being his highest priority. The Chronicle mentions a few names including Matt Kilgallon from Sheffield United, Leon Cort from Stoke, and of course renewing a deal for Zhurab Khizanishvilli.

Rumours of a reported move for Matt Kilgallon will surely gather pace over the coming days, especially with the news that The Blades have signed Plymouth defender Marcel Seip on loan for the rest of the season – possibly to cover for the departing Kilgallon? With the Leon Cort rumour, it’s hard to say whether there is fresh, genuine interest from our side, or if it has just been regurgitated from the summer when we were also linked with a move for the player. Re-signing Khizanishvilli is also an option that Hughton has. The Georgian defender already has the knowledge of our current players so shouldn’t need time to settle in. Manager Chris Hughton added:

“We’re not ruling Zurab returning as he did a good job for us during his spell on loan here.”

“But we are assessing our options.”

So it seems that Newcastle are persuing a number of “options” in this transfer window and as long as none of these options involve any players leaving, then that’s fine by me. One thing is certain however, given the fractious nature of the relationship between fan’s and boardroom, and our excellent current league position, any rumour of a player leaving will be viewed negatively. Lets hope this is the transfer window where Mike Ashley gets things right!

All that left for me to say is Happy New Year to all readers and contributors and I’ll see you all in the next decade!

Howay the lads!

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

61 Responses

  1. I agree, no one to leave but get a few in.

    I really hope Ashley doesn’t line his pockets again in this window, the squad still isn’t strong enough to guarantee promotion, so we need to strengthen.

    Ashley has a big chance to make some progress with the fans (myself included!) in this transfer window, it will be interesting to see what happens.

    Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2010 is a great year for you all!

  5. Ledley, Beckford, Kilgallon, Simpson… There’s potentially 4 players we could get in on the reasonably cheap – although I don’t really fancy us taking Beckford.

    A left footer like Ledley wouldn’t be a bad addition.

  6. As a Leeds supporter Beckford looks to be on his way but Newcastle are far from the only contenders in what could be a bidding war. Beckford has scored a hatfull of goals in Div1 and can score from all angles but he has the best supply chain in the division to feed him and he needs 4-5 good chances to put one away and like last year has ZERO assists to his name. He never gets his head up and looks for others. He never scores in big matches (play offs, games against close rivals) when he has a good CH on his back. If you buy him he will score goals but more than Harewood at that level ??? I doubt it.

  7. EW – If its a bidding war then im sure our owner will graciously back out.

    AndyNUFC – Ledley could be worth a shout. Left footer, creative, out of contract in the summer. Cardiff are apparently skint so maybe we could nab him on the cheap.

  10. Is beckford better than what we have? or or we selling some strikers and picking him up on the cheap?

    I see Mike selling more than buying…hope I am way off the mark as usual : )
    Have a good NY Guys and Dolls.

  11. CLiNT
    We know ‘Boro and QPR have also enquired and Cardiff see him as a ‘cut price’ replacement for Ledley who they expect to get £6-£7m for. We are not talking Prem silly money but £3m (which is what Strachen has reputedly bid)seems to be the number talked about. For cash strapped cardiff that could be a £4m bonus.

  12. wouldn,t suprise me if they dont sign anyone apart from retaining the three lads on loan.
    he might cash in on collocini though,hope i,m wrong but messers owl head and fat boy are a couple of con men.
    the patsy in charge of first team affairs,will give it his usual boot licking for the regime,and toe the line.

  13. TROJAN 69 says:
    December 31, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    “the patsy in charge of first team affairs,will give it his usual boot licking for the regime,and toe the line.”

    WTF is your problem with Chris Hughton, Trojan? That’s a pathetic thing to write from a complete ingrate.

  14. this is why i very rarely post on your site worky,if someone doesn,t share your view you insult them.
    football is about opinions,and my view is chris hughton is a yes man.
    i posted a comment the other week about newcastle being a long ball team,yet you insult me.
    well it is your blog i suppose,but to result to childish insults is unbecoming.

  15. TROJAN 69 – I think he means that you are saying this without foundation or any form of back up.

  16. Re: Boro bidding for Beckford.

    I know the Toon aren’t awash with cash right now but surely we have more than Boro. Hasn’t Gibson already said his pockets are empty?

  19. TROJAN 69 – Not if you can back it up. FWIW i used to think Hughton was a yes man but i’ve seen precious little evidence of this and he seems to be getting his own way and being allowed to do things on his own. Especially as know he is the one in charge without a caretaker tag anymore.

  20. i can reveal the toon have failed in their attempt to sign danny simpson full time due to the crap terms offered to him…….so unless his terms are met then he’ll be back at manchester next week.

    …..all the best for the new year everyone !

  21. toonsy,i have nothing personal against hughton,but he,s only in the job because ashley has no credibility in the game.
    chris hughton will probably be sacked this time next year,or close to it.
    as for backing my view up,why do i have to it,s just an opinion i have.
    you yourself said, you used to think he was a yes man,i still happen to think that.

  23. If it is accurate what Komfort says (20) about not getting Simpson, then young Matthews at Cardiff (Welsh under 21) is also out of contract in the summer, perhaps we could get him?

  24. Might sound a silly suggestion, but if Nobby wants to return to the UK he could be an option to supply some decent crosses…till end of season :)

  26. I see that the Scottish players have gone off the speculation radar. From what I have seen of the SPL there are several we could probably get for minimal investment. “If” some cash is splashed!!
    Hugheton is in exactly the same position as most of the managers in the League(s), continued success and he keeps his job, failure and he is history. You don’t need a crystal ball to predict his future. Personnaly I think he has done a good job in difficult times. Yes he toes the party line but I don’t think he is a yes man.

  29. jay jay,because i call hughton a patsy does not mean i,m insulting him.
    maybe patsy was the wrong word,he is the fall guy for those two cowards who are running the circus.
    personally i feel sorry for him,because he,s on a hiding to nowt.
    jay jay do you live in newcastle?because the people i speak to have no cause for optimism,the people i know think promotion will be the start of our problems.
    chris hughton,s appointment to people i know seems to be another shortsighted and reckless paper over the cracks remedy to far bigger problems that exist at the club.
    like i have said previously football is about opinions,we might not agree,but i,m not on here insulting other people for their views,if i dont agree with them.
    anyway lads and lasses i,m not going to get into this as i think we,ll go around in circles,and the outcome will be futile.
    happy new year to one and all for 2010.

  30. I can see the sales signs going up now – the FCB once again trying to get as much money out of the club as possible. Guti and Colo will be the first out.

    As for some of the comments referring to the likes of Lg1 and out of contract players coming in ‘on the cheap’ – This is a club with a top 5 gate year in year out, a paper thin squad (half the wage bill of last year) and even resorting to turning off the escalators outside match days. Penny pinching gone mad and the fact that some are happy for us to be aiming at cheap players just plays into the FCB hands. The last two games have really shown that we are not the team that the table thinks were are and with a couple of hard games coming up v soon, a play off place may be the best we can hope for within the current club strategy.

  32. mynameistaken I would rather our transfer policy now than the transfer policy of the past , trying to live within our means, look at portsmouth! If Ashley hadnt bought the club we could well be facing what portsmouth are now

  33. I couldn’t even say i’ve seen Beckford play regularly enough to give an opinion on whether he’d be worth taking or not. Every time i have seen him play i’ve been impressed with him but is he better than what we have?

    On another note regarding strikers, i’m sure we’re still watching Boyd if we had scouts in the crowd last weekend for him, and he bagged 5 for Rangers last night.

  34. TROJAN69, patsy wasn’t the best choice of word mate, you got that right, and to be perfectly honest mate i was horrified when hughton was made full time manager, but he has got us into a strong position for promotion and the players on the pitch seem happy playing for him. I’ve had to admit i was wrong about hughton and i give credit where it’s due. Maybe he will find it difficult if we get into the premiership, but i for one will be greatful that he got us there. And no mate i dont live in newcastle, i’m unfortunate enough to live in birmingham.

  35. Ross I feel Beckford would give us that ‘ fox in the box ‘ option we dont have at the moment

  36. Johno Toono – I agree that the Geordilactico era was unsustainable – but there is no way a team of our size/support should be looking at cast offs and cheapie loans.

    The fact is that FCB is getting as much out of the club as possible, before flogging it to the highest bidder – lets fact it ihe has not made a loss yet – gates and transfers out more than outweigh even the rumoured 70million yearly wage bill

  38. Hi Big Willy,

    Just checked them out and we agreee 100%
    Bring Nobby back for a 3rd spell. Top man and has been performing well in Peru this season.

  40. jay jay ,there,s no offence intended about your place habitation,and you,re right i think he will get them promoted.
    next season will be the problem for me,will he have enough money to spend?will he be capable of attracting the right players i think the poor bloke will be sacked this time next year.
    this season though i dont think you can rate his skills as a manager as the coca cola championship is the poorest i,ve seen in years.
    what i meant about you living in newcastle was to gauge the mood of the place and it,s not the rosy picture the media are painting.

  42. Geordilactico era hahaha i’ve never heard that! That is a great line hahaha

    I think the problem is what we owe in transfer to other clubs , dont we still owe Inter for Martins? Im not saying Ashley is perfect but atleast we paid in full for players like colo and xisco, so if we get promoted and new sponsership there might be money in the summer who knows?

  43. Ranger is excellent with his back to goal, his first touch is top notch and he holds the ball up well, but he sadly hasnt managed to transfer his unbelievable goalscoring record in the bairns/ressies to his first team career, yet.
    McLoven has bags of pace and should still be able to nip round defenders and get himself into threatening positions in the box and finish, but we again havent seen too much from him either.
    If Beckford is one of these “right place at the right time” sort of strikers, with an eye for goal and a good goalscoring ratio, then he’s probably the type of player we need. Like i say, i’ve been pretty impressed when i’ve watched him play, i just havent seen enough to make a proper judgement.

  44. Johno – I think your right about the fox in the box thing. All our strikers right now are encouraging long ball “battleships” football. I think Beckford would add that bit of pace and would hopefully chase knock downs and such. It would give opposing defenders something extra to think about.

    mynameistaken – So would you prefer the marquee signings with massive price tags and massive salaries? You know, the very same type of player that got us relegated? Yes our gates are top 5, but a hugs shake up has been needed for years. Shepherd got us mortgaged up to the hilt. The money from our flagship sponsorship deal with Northern Rock, one of the most lucrative deals at the time, was spent before we had it. Things have to change. We took a gamble and lost and as a result the club was close to being run into the ground. Who knows how different it had been if we had won the league in 96? Perhaps we could have been todays Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, but we didnt and thats ancient history. All the money was spent trying to lay that ghost to rest. I also think that the retirement of Shearer as a player was when the rot properly set in.

  47. I wouldn’t mind us taken a chance on Miller, I thought he was ok in the EPL, probably one of Birminghams (?) best players last season. MacGheacan (I know I’ve spelt it wrong but you know who I mean) looks like a player who could do the biz in England and of course Boyd who is a bit more than a fox in the box

  48. trojan dont back track m8 hughton is a patsy and if people were honest to them selfs they would relize it

  50. batty no back tracking mate,i think he is a yes man,i do feel sorry for him though.
    but like i said i,m not on here to get into petty squabbles,happy new year .

  52. Been reading today that Ashley is in talks with the Northen Rock about a new sponsership deal . WTF i really cant see how after all thier troubles we could get a good shirt deal from them .Mybe Northern Rock @ SJP for the stadium but we need a big deal for shirt sponsership .

  53. Leeds fan here.

    Personally, I would like to see Beckford stay and help us get promoted. I wouldn’t be too upset to see him leave at the end of the season as he has served us well and got us lots of goals.

    However, I do think that Beckford would be a waste of money for Newcastle.

    He can do a job in the Championship, but he won’t get the number of chances he gets in League One and will probably struggle to get the 1 in 3 that Harewood has scored for you.

    If I were a Newcastle fan I would be wanting my board and manager to be looking up the leagues and start building for the Premiership next season.

    You have built such a good platform in the first half of the season and I would be looking to kick on rather than consolidate your position. I believe that is what Bates and Grayson (and McAllister before despite the poor results) have been doing at Leeds – they have build a squad of players that should be good enough for the Championship knowing that if they get them ticking they have a team ready made to hit the ground running next season….if we go up.

    Personally, I would take Harewood back in an instant as he is proven and I would be looking for Premiership talent that can be signed for next season. £250k is nothing for a proven goal scored for half a season and you should be looking long term with permanent signings – as should Leeds.

    Beckford will do a job in the Championship without a doubt. It won’t be a spectacular as his impact in League One, but he will never be a Premiership footballer – sorry Jermaine – nothing personal….maybe you will prove me wrong and I hope that you do as you have served us well.

  54. TROJAN 69 says:
    December 31, 2009 at 4:29 pm

    “batty no back tracking mate,i think he is a yes man,i do feel sorry for him though.”

    Why, Trojan? He’s had a great football career winning several trophies, he has worked with some of the best players in the game, been a great coach and assistant manager at the ROI and Spurs and he’s now the manager of a great football team. Surely, it is he who should be feeling sorry for you? ;-)

  56. batty says:
    December 31, 2009 at 4:53 pm

    “happy new year worky y winding up bugger”

    Pot, kettle, black ye big radgie! Happy New Year batty! :-)

  58. ok, last bit of drivle from me this year… woo friggin hoo!

    all credit to CH, made the absolute best out of f all… proud of the chap and tip my hat and i hope i’m wrong but i reckon he’s gonna struggle come promotion. MA will stick with him till crimbo if its all falling apart i’d reckon then knowing him we’ll get JK back or some sh*t

    personally, i’d be looking at slavan bilic right now and asking the right questions… i think he would be good for the toon

    if not, then JM… if he reckons he’s “all that” lay it down to him and get him to prove his mettle… for bobby!

    snarf snarf

    bottoms up me geordie barns

  61. Understand an initial offer of 1.25 mill. has been turned down, for Beckford that is, probably end up paying 2m.
    If not get Boyd, who scored 5 the other night, sure would cost more but are we not going into the PL or trying to ensure we we get there ?
    Looks like Simpson will be signed and Kilgallon will be here this window.
    Apart from Ireland, who is the creative inside forward we could sign , come the summer ?
    Wonder if Liverpool would let us have Benayoun or Celtic sell Mc Geady, we desperately need a bit of creativity, my choice would be Ireland but may be out of our reach.