Paranoid? Or are we out to get him?How will this summer’s transfer window end for Newcastle United? This humble writer thinks it will end with a gamble.
I can tell you how I think the transfer window will end for us and that’s with a mad dash on deadline day to try and get someone on the cheap.
It’s possible that we might recruit somebody before next Wednesday but I’d be very surprised if we get both a striker and a left-back before then.
Ashley seems to have this fear that we’re being ripped off because other clubs know we need particular players but personally I think that’s hogwash. If any club puts in a bid it’s because they think they need a player – why would they be bidding otherwise?
Some clubs need players and other clubs are prepared to sell players – that’s what football transfers are all about. Both clubs will try to get the best price they can and we’re no different from other clubs in that respect. (more…)
Twin targets still on?Newcastle United still appear to be pursuing Modiba Maiga, who missed out on his weekend league game again, and Erik Pieters, who Alan Pardew allegedly went to watch on Sunday.
It seems that Newcastle think striking striker Modibo Maiga is still a plausible target despite his club – Sochaux – insisting last week that he will not be released.
When Sochaux’s coach arrived at Picot for their game on the weekend, Sochaux manager Mécha Baždarevi said in reference to Maiga:
“No, he’s not here. He will not play.”
Maiga is alleged to have gone on strike for the game again but officially he has claimed to have a ‘pain in the knee’, although not one bad enough to warrant him seeking a medical certificate. (more…)
Door open, says Lyon coachAlan Pardew intends to use yesterday’s victory over the mackems as a springboard to entice more action from the Newcastle United board in terms of transfers.
Yesterday’s result was extremely satisfying – as any win over the hapless mackems is – but I think we’d all like to see a new left-back and a new striker in before the transfer window closes.
Pardew is obviously thinking along the same lines, which I must mention to my psychiatrist in case agreeing with Alan Pardew is indicative of something worrying. Pardew said:
“A victory like today helps me with Derek and Mike to go upstairs and say, ‘Come on, let’s try to get them in this week’.
“We want to get the right players and we want to get the best value we can, and we are trying to do that.
“The group I have got is sound. They are aware to balance us up, we perhaps need a left-back in the building and we need a striker in, and that’s what we are going to try to do.” (more…)
Still an option?How many players do you think Newcastle United will recruit before the transfer window closes?
There seems to be a fair bit of ‘NUFC depression’ around this week, mainly due to the lack of transfer activity I suppose.
Having said that, it seems that we’re still pursuing Modibo Maiga despite Sochaux’s Chairman apparently rejecting out of hand any transfer for the player. Some reports are suggesting that we will submit a new £9.5m bid in order to try and find some cracks in Sochaux’s stance.
Furthermore, according to Alan Pardew, the ‘plan’ triggered by Enrique’s departure has sprung into action and a new left-back is being pursued with vigour. I’m not sure whether that’s Pieters or Cissokho but we have been told to expect that it will be a tough task to recruit a left-back due to other clubs “knowing we need one”.
So far during this transfer window we’ve brought in Cabaye, Marveaux, Obertan and Ba into the senior squad. And possibly Abeid, although I’m not sure whether he classes as a full first-team player yet.
There are now 12 days left in the transfer window and I wanted to gauge the optimism of Toon fans about those remaining 12 days with a poll. (more…)
Upbeat about transfers.Newcastle United appear to be struggling to land a new striker and a new left-back, but Alan Pardew has not given up hope. The Newcastle manager admits we’re not stronger than we were last year but thinks we will be by the end of the transfer window.
The prospect of signing Modibo Maiga seems to be fading with every day and it seems that Sochaux’s Chairman Alexandre Lacombe is going to force Maiga to see out his contract until 2014.
“There are those who speak and those who do,” said Lacombe, although quite what he meant by that is anybody’s guess, but the French press are suggesting that the door is now firmly shut in terms of Maiga transferring to Newcastle.
The window however isn’t, and Alan Pardew thinks we may still be able to nip in that way and land our man. The usually mute manager had this to say:
“He is a player we want to bring to the club. That is where that is. Negotiations are still ongoing.” (more…)
