Debuchy: Still a long way to go.Yes, I know that there have been previous reports that a move Lille full back, Mathieu Debuchy is “imminent.”
I also know that Debuchy himself has come out of the closet with his desire to leave the club, that a rumoured €6-7 million bid (£4.7 – 5.4 million), or alternatively, a £6-7 million bid has been made by Newcastle United (Possibly by undiligent writers confusing the euro figures with pounds Sterling figures). There has even been a report that Debuchy was booked in for a medical on Tyneside at one stage. However much of this (apart from Debuchy coming out of the closet which was a direct quote) has been completely ubsubstantiated twaddle written for the titillation of Newcastle United fans, some of whom are positively engorged in anticipation of his imminent arrival. In this piece I shall endeavour to separate the fact from the fantasy, or rather, the parts which can actually be substantiated.
One thing which is certain is that Newcastle United did make a derisory £4 million bid for the player, which was confirmed (and laughed off) by Lille’s manager, Rudi Garcia, when he said: (more…)
Koura: A bonny lad who certainly knows where the goal is!In the last game for Newcastle United’s Reserves clash against a Hamilton Academical 11, it was a young French trialist (named only as “Trialist” on the team sheet) who undoubtedly stole the show.
He scored two goals, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory for the second string Mags.
Newcastle United’s club reporter, Dan King, wrote of the mystery Frenchman:
“Two well-taken goals from a French trialist helped Newcastle Reserves start their pre-season campaign with a win against an experienced Hamilton outfit at the Magpies’ Benton training ground.
“The teenage winger, who has played for his country at youth level, scored twice in the first-half and Marcus Maddison added a third from the penalty spot before Alister Crawford netted a late consolation for the Scottish First Division side, who beat Sunderland’s second-string 3-1 earlier this week and included a host of senior players. (more…)
Who would you add to the team?In order to shift attention back to what this blog is all about, this is a very brief look at the new season squad and how we all think it will shape up.
According to nufc.co.uk, this is the current first team squad in advance of the new season. (more…)
It's that man again!As an addendum to our previous story on Sky Sports North East correspondent, David Craig, reporting that Newcastle United had made a bid to sign Andy Carroll on loan with an option to buy later, the same Sky Sports are now reporting that Liverpool have turned the offer down.
The station reported that Liverpool are only looking to sell the player, and will not coutenance a loan deal for the former Newcastle striker. This is hardly surprising after all the water which has passed under the bridge since the player departed for Merseyside in Mike Ashley’s helicopter gunship back in January, 2011. This includes the drunken rant of Newcastle United’s Managing Director, Derek Llambias, where he bragged of what fools Ashley had made of the Mersyside club when they somehow managed to extract a fee of up to £35 million, and even extracted a further £20,000 of interest for a slightly late payment on the record breaking fee. (more…)
Return of the prodigal son?Sky Sports North East reporter, David Craig, is reporting that Newcastle united are indeed trying to sign Andy Carroll on on a season long loan, and have “submitted a bid” with a view to making the deal permanent in the fullness of time.
As to whether Newcastle United would be willing to pay the same kind of fee Liverpool paid when they signed him from Newcastle back in January 2011 if they wanted to make the signing permanent he didn’t say. Also, he said nothing about whether Liverpool would be responsive to such a move, so this is by no means certain.
It would be a considerable loss of face for Liverpool, who paid as Newcastle United as much as £35 million for the player, especially so after Newcastle United’s Managing Director, Derek Llambias, tried to humiliate the Meyseyside club in a drunken gastropub rant on Tyneside which was recorded by Toon fans and published in the media. (more…)
