Sam has already said he may have to look outside of England to bring in new defenders for Newcastle.
Following our article yesterday on four foreign full backs we’ll take a look at five foreign-based center backs who are still available.
We’ll attempt to see if any could fit the bill at Newcastle.
Sam Allardcye – frantically searching for center-backsÂ
Brede Hangeland – Copenhagen (in white beating Rooney to a header)
Hangeland is 6’4†so he fits the type of defender Sam wants at the club but lacks Premiership experience and a knock against him is that he may be a bit slow. He has represented Norway 33 times and Newcastle have been linked with him for several weeks now. The initial price quoted for him was ₤2.3M but now is at ₤4M – we think somewhere between those two figures would be accurate. Hangeland would improve the squad but he would need to fight for a starting place. Brede has expressed a desire to play in the Premiership and reports from our readers in Norway say he has improved significantly over the last season or two.
It is known that Aston Villa – who have still made surprisingly few moves in the transfer market – are also after Hangeland so Sam would have to move quickly if he really wants them (how many times have we said that!).
Fabricio Coloccini – Deportivo La Coruna
Good player that Newcastle were said to be interested in last January. Has played over 25 times for Argentina and currently is playing his football at Deportivo Le Coruna in Spain. Not sure what Sam thinks about Fabricio – but with us missing out on other targets – Coloccini could now be in the frame. We like the 6’0″ tall Coloccini and think he would be a good addition to the squad for around a £3M – £4M fee. No experience of course in the Premiership but good International experience.
Andrea Barzagli – Palermo
Andrea Barzagli was born May 8, 1981 in Fiesole, Italy and currently plays for Serie A side Palermo. He is highly regarded in his homeland and his first club was Rondinella Firenze – whom he joined in 1998. He has since played for Pistoiese, Ascoli and Chievo, before being signed by Palermo in the summer of 2004. He has 13 caps for the full Italian side and stands 6’1″ in height. During last year’s World Cup he was a starter for the quarter-final against Ukraine – after an injury to Alessandro Nesta and the suspension of Marco Materazzi – who were the starting center-backs for Italy. Transfer fee would be high – quoted at £11M but we think he would be available for less than that. No premiership experience but a budding great player and maybe too expensive for us if we only have £10M available..
Edmilson – Barcelona
Good experience and skill and we really hope that Sam has locked this one up for Edmilson to come in the January transfer window once fully fit from his knee injury. Edmilson is tipped to be Brazil’s captain in the next world cup – we think he will be good capture for Newcastle especially if he can get fully fit. Can also play defensive midfield and is a typical Brazilian footballer with great skills, bags of experience and 6′ 1†in height. Sam is a known admirer and Edmilson will cost very little since his contract at Barcelona ends next June.
Fabio Cannavaro – Real Madrid
We’re not sure we can attract this world class player to Newcastle. Cannavaro is one of the best-ever Italian defenders and won the FIFA World Player of the Year last year after captaining Italy to world cup success last summer. Unlikely to want to come to Newcastle and will probably return to Italy following a mediocre year at Real Madrid. Only 5’9†tall and we include him here because he is available and probably for a fairly low fee. Maybe Sam can conjure up some magic to get him to Newcastle – but that’s what will be needed.
Well – those are five center-backs we know about – let’s know what you think.
Any we have missed out who are still available?
Comments always welcome.
53 comments so far
shaun
Jul 31, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Comment #41yobo would be good but guess he’s not availabe (for under 2M) anyway, same goes for shorey/baines. Dede/Chiellini Barzagli would be great but come on guys it’s obvious Sam isn’t being offered that sort of transfer funding! Faye seems a bit last result otherwise surely Sam would have moved for him earlier
paul p
Jul 31, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Comment #42it has been the problem all along aint it, but the only way things are going to get better is by finishing higher up the table and because of lack of quality, we will finish well well down, iof not relegation. we are crying out for players. wot happend to all this tv money. where did that go, or this sponsership money from carling. did that go towards paying off the debt.
AltaBatAljoneN
Jul 31, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Comment #43Hangeland for less than 3mill.. No big wage demand, consistent performer and improving fast over the last couple of years.. Would not take too long to adapt to english style either, cuz he`s from norway( similar style to the english)..
AltaBatAljoneN
Jul 31, 2007 at 12:58 PM
Comment #44…and for those of u who saw FCK – Man U in CL last year… remember he made Rooney and the rest look like schoolboys!!
Lin
Jul 31, 2007 at 1:16 PM
Comment #45We need not only 3 good defenders but also a defensive midfield. However, we only have 10m. I feel disappointed about the new owner.
shaun
Jul 31, 2007 at 1:18 PM
Comment #46Apparently west ham have bid 7m for shorey and are also after smith and Eider. Could be that oliver has just got bored again and decided to write some more crap though
paul p
Jul 31, 2007 at 1:29 PM
Comment #47and we have to sell oba to get the finance’s to buy 2 quality centre halfs thats the latest one i have read
Bosck
Jul 31, 2007 at 1:39 PM
Comment #48Unfortunately Drame has just signed for Sochaux
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6923908.stm
paul p
Jul 31, 2007 at 1:42 PM
Comment #49he’s a thought for you, knowning that alladyce walked out on bolton caus the board would not back him in the transfer market, do u not think he would do the same here if he was not getting backed. ???
Ross
Jul 31, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Comment #50i hope the rumours regarding us going after smith and eidur are rubbish because at the end of the day, we apparently dont have the money, and there are gaping holes in our defence.
fair enough im sure smith or eidur would be decent additions to the squad (a replacement for dyer is needed) but at the end of the day, we are screaming for a left and right back.
i thought huntington was terrible against juve, and carr looked poor too. i’m getting sick of us being linked with strikers, midfielders, and even more so sick of us being linked with defenders, and nothing happening. name after name, day after day and no action. some rumours turn out to be reality, we should just have “utterl rubbish, clearly never going to happen” pages.
Ed Harrison
Jul 31, 2007 at 3:51 PM
Comment #51Please take a look at our comments policy. The comments are getting a bit too raucous in terms of bad language and we cannot always catch them before they are submitted. Please try to make your points with decent language.
We know for a fact that we have youngsters accessing this site and we want to keep it that way – Thanks .
michael
Jul 31, 2007 at 7:48 PM
Comment #52Adam and Carl seem very excitable!
It’s pretty funny watching you boys panic about “missing out” on these players. These players are all a bit rubbish that we’re talking about, no?
Edmilson would be good, or Cicinho maybe but not really the others I think.
Drame? Did anyone actually believe that? Hangeland link is a waste of web space, about as truthful as an Alan Oliver exclusive.
Why can’t we be linked with good established players who we know are good, instead of ones we haven’t heard of, like Drame (Who was obviously the only left back to move this week, hence more of AO’s lies!)
Who wants to hear about Nasri with his 4 trick highlight reel or Celchinni with his u21 prowess in a team that achieved not much? Hangeland is as useful as a brussel sprout on 26th December. So we haven’t signed the substandard players guaranteed to milk your club as Souness and Guillit did, or the players with “potential” like Sir Bobby (5mill on Ambrose and Bramble anyone, that’s each by the way!). Is that a bad thing?
Players we definitely know Sam wanted: Heinze, Distin, Ben Hiam. Spot the link? Yes that’s right they all quite good!
Players Alan Oliver thinks we are interested in: Drame, Hangeland, Beye. Spot the link? That’s right they are probably rubbish but none of us know as we have never seen them play so “our mate who watches the Bundesliga division C says he’s class!” is rolled out in order to excite we muppets!
Tom_Toon
Jul 31, 2007 at 8:12 PM
Comment #53Hangeland and Beye are brilliant i have seen them play numerous times.
Dragutnovic is a brilliant defender who we have just been linked with and have been reported to send our delgation down to Sevilla to discuss a move.
All these players are looking unlikely atm. People are talking about Vanden Borre, he has already moved this summer, get over it.
I woud love for Kompany to come, best young CB in the world, he would cost more than 10 mil.
The best bets for our defence are, Heitinga, Dragutinovic, Fathi ( Not at all linked, but if looked at a briliant specimin of what BSA wants)