Habib: Villan now.While it seemed yesterday that Newcastle United right-back, Habib Beye, was all set for a move to the ‘Tigers’ of Hull, with a bid accepted, it appears that this development motivated Martin O’Neill and Randy Lerner to make a dramatic eleventh hour swoop, and Habib is now a ‘Villan’. The 31-year-old is reported to have signed a three-year deal, and will enjoy European competition in next year’s new ‘Europa League’ with the Midlands club.
Villa had previously expressed an interest in the Senegal star, and it always seemed a more likely choice if Villa were to meet Hull’s bid of around £2.5 million, though the figure is currently undisclosed.
Beye was signed by Newcastle United in August, 2007 from Marseille, and it has been said that our interest in him was initially sparked by an excellent performance when Marseille knocked us out of the UEFA cup three years earlier. Beye played for United in what has undoubtedly been a lacklustre period in the club’s history. However he always escaped the criticism levelled at many other players due to his solid and highly consistent performances amidst the chaos that was frequently going on around him. (more…)
In terms of the management situation, the club have apparently ruled out the idea that Kinnear will return – although there’s nothing on NUFC’s official site to that effect – and The Mail are claiming that David O’Leary has also turned down the opportunity to become manager. This latter claim by The Mail contains no direct quotes from O’Leary though, so it could just be nonsense.
An awful lot is printed about Newcastle these days but, besides the confirmed transfers, most of it just appears to be speculation, so there is little of substance to actually report today.
The Barry Moat situation dominated most of the speculation yesterday but The Chronicle wonders if that’s all a ruse to flush out other bidders, which wouldn’t surprise me at all. (more…)
Does the glamour of Hull await for Beye?Hot on the heels of Sebastien Bassong’s Tottenham move comes news that highly regarded Newcastle United right-back, Habib Beye is on the verge of a move to the Hull City Tigers.
City chairman, Paul Duffen, has confirmed that an offer has been accepted by United, after a previous £2 million bid failed to hit the mark with Toon owner, Mike Ashley. The sum is thought to be much closer to the £4 million mooted by the hierarchy at Saint James’s Park. It has also been reported that Beye has also been a target of Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill.
However, although it sounds like a bid has been accepted, it is by no means certain that beye and Hull will reach agreement on personal terms, especially over salary. Beye is currently receiving around £30,000 per week on Tyneside. (more…)
Bassong: Finalising 'Spurs deal.Newcastle United centre-back, Sebastien Bassong, has been in North London having a medical for Tottenham Hotspur, as the final parts of a deal which has been mooted for some time are thrashed out. The fee is thought to be around £8-10 million, though Bassong was signed by Newcastle’s then Director of Football, Dennis Wise, for a mere £500,000 a year ago.
Despite his meagre pricetag, Bassong was voted Newcastle United’s ‘Player of the Year’ last season, though the field was hardly strong in what was a very disappointing season for the Toon to say the least.
Bassong, 23, has stated that he has “no choice” but to leave Toon, as he strives for Premiership football and a permanent place in the Cameroon first team.
Speaking on his time at Newcastle, he said:
“Playing for Newcastle was a real honour in front of the supporters at St James’s Park.
“It has been an unbelievable experience for me.
“But I have always said that I wanted to play in the Premier League and that wasn’t possible with Newcastle. (more…)
Barry MoatThe Guardian reports that the sale of Newcastle United is imminent.
Apparently Ashley is being urged to accept a bid from a consortium led by Tyneside businessman Barry Moat. It is thought that Moat, who has financial backing from investors in the United States, is Keith Harris’s preferred bidder. The Guardian speculates that if Moat gets the club he will favour Alan Shearer as manager.
Additional reports on this issue can be found in The Times, The Chronicle, The Journal and The Sun, but I would suggest remaining cautious about this news until a formal announcement is made from the club. There is no guarantee that Ashley will accept any bid recommended by Harris (assuming the stories are true in the first place).
There were reports yesterday that the club had, incredibly, offered Joe Kinnear a two-year contract. This was covered last night in an article on this site, so I don’t really need to mention it too much here except to say that there’s an article in The Times that claims the club is denying offering Kinnear a contract and insists ‘he has his wires crossed’. (more…)
