Toon after a pair of PSV players – left-back Pieters and striker Toivonen?

Posted on August 8th, 2011 | 39 Comments |

Erik Pieters - alleged Jose Enrique replacement.
The new Enrique?
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has allegedly been to Holland to check up on a left-back and a striker.

This week could be a busy one when it comes to transfer speculation if Alan Pardew’s aims to bring in two players before the Arsenal game are realised.

Typically, it’s the Daily Mail who get things started with speculation firstly that Jose Enrique will be leaving for Liverpool in a £5.5m pound deal and that he will be replaced with PSV Eindhoven’s Erik Pieters.

I normally treat pretty much anything I read in The Mail with doubt – not to mention scorn – but they were correct with their early speculation about Obertan, so maybe they just have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to Toon transfers just now.

Apparently Pardew flew out to Holland in a plane solely powered by hot air to check on the 23 year-old left back as Pieters is recovering from a pre-season injury to his knee. Pardew watched PSV Eindhoven lose to AZ Alkmaar where Pieters came on as a substitute for the second half.

Pieters began his senior career at Utrecht, scoring 2 goals in 51 games for them, and moved to PSV in 2008 where he’s notched up 75 appearances. He also had 10 games for the Dutch national side under his belt.

He moved to PSV for a reported €2.5m (£2.2), so I’d guess he’d be somewhere in the £4m-£5m region now, which should be covered by what we get for Enrique. Incidentally The Mail’s £5.5m estimate for Enrique is somewhat short of the £10m that has been bandied around previously, so we’ll just have to wait and see what he’s actually worth to Liverpool.

Apparently, while he was in Holland, Alan Pardew took the chance to look at Swedish striker Ola Toivonen who also plays for PSV. The 25 year-old Swede has 62 goals in 178 games and 34 in 75 for PSV. He also has 2 in 10 appearances for Sweden.

Toivonen moved to PSV from Sweden’s Malmö FF in 2009 for a fee variously thought to be either €3.5m and €4.5m, so he might just fall into the sort of price range that Ashley would pay for a striker.

Here’s a video of Toivonen knocking in some goals during the 2009/2010 season:

Usual caution is advised, as with all speculation, but The Mail seems to have picked a few correct ones recently.

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.

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Comment on this post

39 Responses

  4. Soory to interfere but it is also there in toivonen in the 2nd last paragraph.

  5. As for the article if we get both of these for around 8 million it wd be good. we can push on with our squad

    P.s
    Mike Ashley is a conman

  6. For Arsenal:

    —————————–Krul
    ——-S.Taylor —Collocini —-Enrique?
    —————————-Tiote
    ——————–Barton —Cabaye
    Gutierrez———————————- Marveaux
    ——————–Vuckic
    ———————–——–Ameobi/Ba
    I think a 3-5-2ish system would be more suitable for Guti and Marveaux to take advantage of their energy and running ability. Also, it helps us accomadate some of our better players.

    Subs:
    Harper/Forster, Williamson, Simpson, Gosling, Vuckic/Arfa, S.Ameobi, Ba/Ameobi

    Vuckic—Oberton—(Arfa when back)
    Barton—Gosling
    Gutierrez—S.Ameobi
    Ameobi—Ba

    Can also be easily changed to 4-4-2 if needed by bringing Simpson on.

    Would find time for Best, Lovenkrands, Tavernier, Ferguson, Guthrie, R.taylor and Smith on the bench against lesser opposition.

  7. Looks like a good header of the ball and someone who does not need a lot of touches to get his shot on target. Better value than those in the English league thats for sure.

  8. This toivonen looks good but dont beleive till it happens and sick and tired of enrique if he doesnt want to be there get rid think the team already looks better than last season so get couple more in the door and lets get in europe and try for a cup.

  9. as always, I will believe any of it when they are holding/wearing the shirt.

    anyone know what time Squidward/Megamind (Obertan) is in for his medical?

  10. Looks fantastic! Great feet, looks quick, clinical finishing and by the looks of it he has amazing aerial abilities. Would love to see him swap his red and White for the black and White! Easily worth £5m or £6m! Bring him in :D

  11. I like the look of that Toivonen. He’s a great header of the ball, which is very important in the PL today, and he looks like he has good touches.

    Bring them both in and lets get on with it…

    HWTL

  12. IF WBA can be for him, we can do a awful lot better then them. given, if we are really in for him.

    Please no more you tube fiascos

  13. im swedish and have seen toivonen alot,he´s not that quick but he has a good touch,can play behind the striker or in front,a good header of the ball but far from as powerfull as for example carroll,he has an amazing shot and great free kicks

  14. I would be disapointed if we sold Jose to Liverpool for anything less than 7 million. Knowing Liverpool, they might even end up being around us, even with all the money they have spent so they can be seen as a direct competitor. Sell him abroad or take a good sum from him, otherwise keep him and let him go for free imo.

  15. Toivonen seems to be a tad too similar to Best for my liking. We’ve been saying for the past 2 seasons we need somebody pacey and full of tricks that isn’t Peter Lovenkrands – Toivonen doesn’t seem to be that player.

  18. Thump… Hehe yah, if he comes he will hopefully do better than king kenny’s lookalike purchase tho ;)

  20. Hmm. If it’s true that this guy isn’t the quick poacher we need, we’re best looking elsewhere. As Hugh has suggested, it’s probably all tabloid cack anyway.

    I’ve no problem with this Manure winger coming in, though. If Carr and co reckon he’s got what we need, and he’s only £3m, I think they’ve probably weighed up the risk that he’ll flop and made a well-informed decision. They only need to get half of them right and it’s still very, very good business for the club.

  21. With the season starting this Saturday I’d be surprised if any new signings will be ready to begin a game for us. Having to replace Jose now with someone like Pieters would be a tad worrying and annoying, might (would) have to be a current squad member, Ferguson?

    Toivonon, haven’t a clue the few times I have seen him he has looked ok in Dutch football but not outstanding.

    Has the Kierrison rumour died a death now?

    Next!!

  23. Toivonen is à headcase ,gets booked alot and always uses his elbows when jumping for headers . Pieters was not happy yesterday starting on the bench and let his coach know about it with à few words to the media after the game

  24. Do we have to have players with dodgy haircuts? If they have a bad game, I struggle to remain objective. Hair blindness I think it is.

  25. I agree with Axel; Toivonen is a headcase. Not only doe she get booked a lot, he also constantly tries to get opponents booked and is very sneeky when it comes to commiting fouls. He’s not one to shy away from the odd stamp and doesn’t give a shit about hurting anyone but rolls around as if he’s been shot when slightly (or even at all) touched. Like El Hadj Diouf in many ways and like Diouf hated by all opposing supporters.So please no, not for the Toon.

  26. Dutch Geordie… I see you use both he/she about Toivonen, is that because its gender havnt really been nailed down yet? ;)

  27. looks like he has an eye for goal but compared to the players we were looking at he looks a different type of player so i dont think there is any truth in this! i could be wrong though… i dont think we will have any striker in anytime soon and we play ARSENAL this weekend i think were fcuked for that game at least

  28. Presumably Toivonen is on “our radar” now because Long isnt ?

    I’ve read so much shlte about Carr being the saviour of this club for his ability to pick a top talent like Tiote for next to nothing. Yet when he said we needed five or six players in this season I kinda thought that meant that he’d targeted 5 or 6 players who would suit this club and who would be happy to play for the Toon ?

    If Gameiro, Gervinho and Erdinc were all down to him then he should be sacked for not sorting out the finer detail i.e. for not confirming that the player was willing to play for £50 a week plus a bunch of Sports Direct vouchers.

  30. A couple of decent prospects. Would just like you see some of the speculation come to life.

  32. There is only one striker who should top your list and thats Sturridge.

    Chelski clearly dont want to sell him even though they’ve just shelled out on Lukaku so the obvious route for AVB to take is to loan him out to a high profile, but not too high a profile, BPL team.

    So that’s Sunderland then ? :0

  33. Avatar AndyMac says: “So who is on your Speculatorometer™ then Hugh ?”

    I was hoping we’d get one or both of the Banguras TBH, but they’ve turned cold on the Speculatorometer™.

  37. my team if jose leaves and we get pieters and toivonen
    krul
    simmo s.taylor colo pieters
    obertan cabaye tiote marveaux
    ben arfa
    toivonen
    subs
    forster
    willo
    vuckic
    ba
    best
    abeid
    gosling
    barton

  38. I agree with Axel; Toivonen is a headcase. Not only doe she get booked a lot, he also constantly tries to get opponents booked and is very sneeky when it comes to commiting fouls. He’s not one to shy away from the odd stamp and doesn’t give a shit about hurting anyone but rolls around as if he’s been shot when slightly (or even at all) touched. Like El Hadj Diouf in many ways and like Diouf hated by all opposing supporters.So please no, not for the Toon.

    Dutch Geordie the guy sounds like the Swedish version of Robbie Savage according to your description mate lol.

  39. my team for arsenal game if jose leaves and we get pieters and toivonen

    Playing a 4-2-2-2 formation.

    krul
    Simpson S.Taylor Colo Pieters

    Cabaye Tiote
    Obertan Marveaux

    Toivonen Ba

    subs
    harper
    williamson
    vuckic
    ben arfa
    abeid
    barton
    best
    seems pretty competitve IMO!