Martinez won’t sell The Zog to Newcastle, but he could still come anyway
Posted on May 26th, 2011 | 64 Comments |
Newcastle’s pursuit of The Zog has been heavily rumoured since we allegedly made a last minute bid for the player in January.
There is however a spanner in the works and it goes by the name of Roberto Martinez. The Wigan manager has claimed he will only sell N’Zogbia to a Champions League team, saying:
“Charles has improved every year. He’s scored 10 goals a season for the past two years and taken on more responsibility. He’s been captain. I think he can take on more responsibility on the pitch and I still think he’s got a role to play for Wigan Athletic.
“He knows I wouldn’t stop him from playing in the Champions League. We cannot offer that and there are a few players here who fall into that category of being able to play in the Champions League.
“If a club comes in for Charles that is not in the Champions League, then I would say ‘no’. If I don’t see that the club can offer him a different football project than ours then we are not going to sell.“
That would seem to put paid to any potential transfer to Newcastle, yet things aren’t always as they seem and there are strong rumours suggesting that N’Zogbia will indeed return to Newcastle, that the player has been offered a lucrative contract to do so and some rumours are even suggesting that the deal is in fact ‘almost done’.
Of course, Ashley’s arch-enemy Dave Whelan probably won’t be keen to do Ashley any favours but, in the end, money talks. Or maybe they could sort it out in superhero style (which one is the villain?) and have a cataclysmic battle with some hex fingers and mutterings of “By the Hoary Hosts of Hogarth”*.
Anyway, what Martinez says may not be here nor there if the player really wants to leave and, despite the Whelan/Ashley bad feeling, both are businessmen and should be able to put their dislike of one another to one said if they perceive a good deal in the making.
It’s just a hunch but I rather suspect The Zog will return to Newcastle.
* Dr Strange for those of you who remember.
Not at the prices their quoting…