Pieters move looking likely but striking options remain glum
Posted on August 13th, 2011 | 12 Comments |
It looks like PSV’s Erik Pieters is one step closer to becoming our new left-back as PSV boss Fred Rutten is almost conceding defeat in his attempts to keep the player at his club. Rutten said:
“I would lie in the road to stop him leaving but I fear I cannot block his transfer to Newcastle.
“He is a brilliant defender, but, if it is right for him and the club, I cannot say no.”
Many press reports are saying that a £6m deal is in its closing stages and, whilst we might be without a first choice left-back for today’s visit from Arsenal, we should have one in time for the derby game next weekend.
The situation regarding a new striker is less clear, but to be fair we’ve only needed one since January so it’s a 7 month rush job in terms of recruitment.
One of our targets, Eren Derdiyok, has slammed the door in our face saying:
“I did not realise they [Newcastle] were watching me, but it does not make any difference to how I feel about my future.
“I have a contract with Bayer until 2013, and I am extremely happy with that.
“I have no thoughts about leaving, because I have managed to force my way into the team at Bayer, and we now have a Champions League campaign to look forward to. I do not want to miss out on that after helping us to qualify.”
Fair enough really.
As to the striker situation, rumours about interest in Keirrison, Erdinç and Ola Toivonen seems to have died down; West Brom snapped up Shane Long; Pavlyuchenko and Defoe would cost too much; Sturridge seems like a non-starter; Crouch is too old and is on £70k/week; and Lionel Messi just isn’t good enough for us. So unless we have plans to sabotage Stoke’s alleged £7.5m bid for Nicklas Bendtner, I’m not sure where we’re going.
Although the majority of rumours lean towards the Bendtner option at the moment, I really can’t see us topping Stoke’s bid and paying wages of £50k-£60k/week for temperamental striker with 33 goals in 140 league games.
It’s always possible that we’re chasing someone whose name hasn’t made it to the press speculation columns yet of course. That would perhaps be the most likely option at the moment.
For the moment though we’ll have to struggle along with Demba Ba and our strikers from last season.
NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen
I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10).
Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.
Eren Derdiyok plays for Bayer leverkusen, think you may be getting tired